The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander
by Joanne W
Summary: Buffy and Xander find themselves in a whole new situation. It could be worse... but just how will the two friends cope all by themselves?. (Sort of a Quantum Leap crossover)
1. Pilot Episode

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The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Pilot Episode

Summary: It's the new adventures of Buffy and Xander!!!  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG14  
**Spoilers:** If you're up to date, you'll be fine. Big for series 5 (Dawn).  
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

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"Xander?"

"Yeah?"

Buffy turned to look at him as they walked back together from a late patrol "Do you ever think about giving it up?"

"Giving what up?"

"The whole fighting evil thing"

"Everytime I get my ass whooped by something with fangs or horns or both... and sometimes slime"

Buffy suppressed a smile "So... often then?"

"Funny" Xander turned to look at her "What's up Buff? You usually save the 'What am I doing with my life?' speech for the weekends"

"It's not one of those" Buffy stopped walking and Xander stopped too "It's more... OK, actually it is one of those" she sighed "I'm seriously considering making a run for it and living in a hut on a beach somewhere" Buffy tucked her stake inside her jacket and began to walk again "Preferably with cocktails and studly cabana boys nearby"

"Buffy you say that everytime... although the cabana boys are new" Xander walked alongside her "What's got you going this time?"

"It's just... it's just I overheard Anya say something... about you two"

"Did it involve a certain part of my anatomy that she likes a lot?"

"God no" Buffy cleared her throat "Um... she said she'd been thinking about... getting out of Sunnydale. Maybe settle down... somewhere that's... else. With you"

"Oh"

"That's all you're gonna say?" Buffy gave him a look of surprise.

"Well, I kinda already knew about it"

"Oh"

"Yeah. An' sorta threw me with that one too" Xander told her "She brought it up the other day. I surprised myself a whole lot by not running about the place like a headless chicken at the very thought of that much commitment"

"You mean... you'd really think about it?" There was a little surprise in Buffy's voice.

Xander shrugged "Maybe" he admitted, "It's a lot to think about though"

"But you'd go? If Anya really wanted you to?"

Xander hesitated "I think I would. I mean not right now, but... maybe... sometime" he smiled a little "I love her"

Buffy stared at him "Woah"

"I know" Xander kept smiling "I'm all grown up"

"I have to tell you... it's very scary"

"This coming from the girl who decapitated two big ol' nasty demons earlier this evening"

"That was work" Buffy protested, with a small smile "This is like... real life stuff"

"I know. Who thought I'd actually have one...a life that is... that didn't revolve around Slaying, huh?"

Buffy's expression saddened a little "Yeah"

Xander stopped "Oh... Buffy, I didn't mean that you-"

Buffy cut him off with a wave of her hand "Xander, it's OK. Really" she looped her arm through his and started them both off walking again "I get that I'm the Chosen one. That I'm not supposed to have a normal life or-or a sister that's actually human or a mother who hasn't just had brain surgery. Or get to have a boyfriend"

"Still no word huh?"

Buffy shook her head "It's hard to know whether I should be worried or not, y'know?" she said "Like whether he just *can't* 'cos they won't let him or he *can't* 'cos he's been eaten by some big jungle demon"

"I guess it is tough... the not knowing"

"I'll cope" Buffy said tiredly "It's what I do" Buffy leaned against Xander slightly as they walked "I just wish that sometimes all I had to worry about was if my roots were showing"

Xander studied the top of her head "They're not"

"*Hey*!" Buffy looked up at him "You're supposed to say 'My God. You mean that's *not* your natural colour?'"

"Buffy, I've seen you buying the stuff at the store. It's not like people don't *know*"

"Yeah... well... you need a hair cut" Buffy retorted lamely.

Xander just smirked and then started laughing and Buffy found herself unable to stop from joining in.

"Come on" she said, trying to compose herself "Let me get you back safe and sound. Don't want to deprive Anya of her stud muffin"

"I'll have you know it's *love* muffin"

Buffy smirked "Ooh that's even better"

Xander grinned "Who am I to stand in the way of public opinion?"

Buffy grinned back and the banter between them continued until they began to near Anya's apartment.

"Buff? What is it?" Xander asked when Buffy began to slow down. Xander cast a quick look around but he couldn't see anything.

Buffy stopped and let got of his arm "I don't know" she looked around and frowned slightly "Probably just my Slayer senses working overtime" Buffy turned back to Xander and shrugged.

Just as the couple faced each other their breath caught in their throats as each one saw the other suddenly engulfed in a brilliant white light highlighted by spidery blue lines.

Then it all went black.

For a second.

Then they were facing each other again.

"That was new" Buffy managed when her breath caught up with her.

"Nyuh huh" Xander agreed. He immediately checked himself over and Buffy did the same. Both found nothing missing or out of place. Sighs of relief were about to be sighed when they noticed their surroundings.

"What the..." was said in unison.

It was no longer night.

They were no longer a block from Anya's apartment.

In fact it was bright and sunny and hot.

And they were standing across the road from the fully intact and still standing building of Sunnydale High School.

Both Buffy and Xander stood and stared at the building infront of them.

"Buffy... is this your dream or mine?" Xander said finally.

"Xander... I've got the horrible feeling this isn't a dream"

"I was so hoping you weren't gonna say that"

Buffy looked at him "What the hell has happened here?"

"In what sense?" Xander asked as he slowly turned around "The fact that Sunnydale High isn't a pile of rubble or that fact that we seemed to have swapped night for day"

"Kinda both" Buffy took a few tentative steps away from Xander and towards the edge of the road that separated them from the school "I mean first off, I'm about to deliver you to your ex-demon lover and then you suddenly go all white and blue and then we're *here*"

Xander stepped up beside her "You went all white and blue too" he told her "Scared the crap outta me"

"Ditto" Buffy began to walk slowly along the path, still looking at the school. Shortly she came to a stop and faced Xander who had followed her "We should figure out a way to reverse this"

Xander just looked at her "You only just realised that?"

"Hey" Buffy said indignantly "If you're so smart why don't you just tell me what the hell we're supp..." Buffy trailed off when she caught sight of her reflection in the darkened window of the car parked beside them "...osed to... do"

Xander watched Buffy with a slightly puzzled expression when she walked up to the window and peered at herself in it. "Vain much Buff?"

Buffy touched her hand to her cheek and began prodding at her flesh, pulling her face about. Then she put one hand to her hair and began tugging gently at it.

"Buffy what the hell are you doing? I'm sure we've got more important things to worry about than whether your lipstick is smudged"

"Xan... shut up" Buffy straightened up and looked at him. She spread her arms out a little to the side "Xander, what do I look like to you. *Who* do I look like *to* *you*?"

"What? Buffy-"

"*Xander* I'm *serious*. Please, who do I look like?"

"You look like you Buff. Same as always"

Buffy pointed to the car window she'd been looking into "Then why does my reflection look like somebody else?"

"Huh?" Xander went to look at what Buffy was pointing at. And then he caught sight of himself "Nya-aghhh"

"Exactly"

"Holy crap!" Xander went through the same motions that Buffy had; prodding at his face and touching his hair.

"Now I *know* I don't like this" Buffy touched her hair again.

Buffy's reflection showed her to be a pretty, bright blue eyed girl about sixteen years old with dark brown, almost black hair that was about the same length as Buffy's. Her reflection was wearing the same clothes as Buffy had been previously - a blue tank top, a black denim jacket and boot cut black jeans.

Xander reflection showed him to be a tall blond haired guy, about seventeen, with green eyes and better than average looks. He was also wearing the same clothes he had been before - a green shirt over a white T-shirt and slightly baggy blue jeans.

"This is very, very wrong" Xander said numbly "I wanna go home. I was supposed to be having wild monkey sex with Anya. I was *not* supposed to be *here* and-and... *this*" he pointed at his reflection.

"Y'know, you look familiar" Buffy said, "But I don't think you went to Sunnydale High. I think I did though"

"Stop with the *you* Buff!" Xander said "*That* is not *me* and *she* is *not* *you*"

"Xander" Buffy took hold of his arm firmly "Stop it. You're not helping"

"Sorry" Xander looked a little chagrined "You'd think I'd be a little more used to the freaky stuff by now"

"It's OK Xander" Buffy gave him a small smile "Look, we just need to find out what's happened to us and how we make it back to normal"

"Totally with you on that one" Xander replied "And we do that how?"

"Well...um..." Buffy looked towards the school and her eyes widened a little "I know. We could ask Giles"

"Uh huh. And tell him what exactly?"

Buffy crossed her arms infront of her chest "I don't see you having a better idea"

Xander sighed "OK. To Giles it is" He began to follow after Buffy but as soon as she was about to cross the road over to the school she stopped suddenly.

"Wait" she said and grabbed Xander's arm "What if Giles isn't here?"

"Why wouldn't he be here? It's obviously a school day" Xander gestured to the students that milled around the school "He should be at work right?"

"I know, but" she shrugged helplessly "What if he doesn't work here *yet*?"

"Then I'd say we're screwed"

"Well... yeah, but I mean" Buffy looked around "*When* is this?"

"Ohhh..." Xander trailed off in realisation "I see your point" Xander looked at the students "Well...judging by the cars and the clothes and *nya-aghhh*"

"What?" Buffy's head snapped back around to where Xander was pointing. Her eyes widened "Oh. My. God"

"Nyh huh" Xander swiped a hand down his face "That's us" 

The couple looked on as they saw a slightly younger looking version of both of them meet at the steps that led up to the entrance of the school. They were almost immediately joined by Willow and Oz who were holding hands.

"Is that *us*?" Buffy asked weakly "Oh my god" she paused "What was I thinking wearing that skirt"

"It must be senior year" Xander said as he watched as Cordelia walked up beside his younger self and take his hand.

"This can't be..." Buffy said. She shook her head, trying to shake off the weird feeling "What makes you think its our senior year?"

"Willow's hair"

"Oh" Buffy tilted her head to look at Xander, she tried to maintain her cool as much as she could, although she knew that Xander would be able to see underneath it "Do you remember signing up for time travel?"

Xander shook his head "I'm still hoping I'm going to wake up" he said and shared an understanding look with Buffy.

Buffy watched the younger versions of herself, Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander go into the school building "This is why I want a normal life" she mumbled to herself before she started off across the road.

"Well at least we know Giles is here" Xander said and began to head off after Buffy "And I'm with you too. It's moments like this that make me wish I did live somewhere else"

Xander caught up with Buffy and they walked together through the school entrance and into the main hallway, trying to be an unobtrusive as possible.

But Buffy quickly found herself being grabbed by the arm. She spun around and faced the person who had hold of her and was about to glare them away when the girl let go of her and beamed at Buffy happily.

"Hey Maria, didn't you hear me calling you?" the girl asked, her eyes then flicking towards Xander who stood just behind Buffy and proceeded to raise an eyebrow "And since when are you hanging with this drop out?"

Buffy faltered "Um, s-since about this morning" Buffy plastered a smile on her face "Hey, I know. Why don't I just meet you for lunch and I'll tell you about it then, 'kay?"

Without waiting for an answer Buffy grabbed hold of Xander's arm and herded him off quickly towards the library.

"OK, so at least we know I have a name" Buffy said as they walked as quickly as they could manage in the hallways that were slowly becoming more crowded "Fat lot of good it does me though"

"And apparently I'm not cool enough for 'Maria' to hang about with" Xander muttered "Story of my life"

"We're here" Buffy stated "Come on" Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him into the library.

"Hey" Xander called out "Anybody here?"

Buffy went over to Giles' office and tried the handle "It's locked" Buffy peered through the window and into the office. There was an open book on the desk and one of Giles' tweed jackets was hanging up on a hook just inside the door "He's been here though"

Xander headed up the steps to the stacks "Giles!"

"I don't think he's here Xander" Buffy said as she joined him "We'll have to wait"

"Screw that" Xander said determinedly. He turned to the bookshelf behind him "There's *got* to be some stuff that we can check out for ourselves"

"Ooh good thinking" Buffy walked over to another bookshelf and began scouring the titles "But, um, what sort of stuff should we be looking for? We don't even know what happened to us?"

"I can tell you that" an unfamiliar male voice said from behind them.

Both Buffy and Xander turned around to see a man standing by the book check out counter. He was in his late twenties, athletic and good looking, short dark hair with minimal blond highlights, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. He was dressed in a close fitting burgundy jumper and charcoal grey chinos and smart black shoes. In his hand he held a small back box.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes "Who are you?"

"Names Sean" the guy said, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head, revealing hazel eyes "And you can stop looking in the books. I seriously doubt you're going find anything that's going to help"

"And you know this how?" Xander asked, giving Sean an apprehensive look "No, wait don't tell me. It was in the latest issue of 'GQ' wasn't it?"

"And I can see you're going to be a laugh a minute on this gig" Sean sighed despairingly. He looked at Buffy "I can tell you both what happened" Sean then looked between them "Why you're both not... quite yourselves"

Both Buffy and Xander exchanged glances with each other before looking back to Sean. They had nothing to lose by listening to what he had to say.

"All right" Buffy said, giving him her no-nonsense look "Spill"

Sean paused for effect. "You leaped"

Xander stared at him "We did what?"

"I think he said we leaped" Buffy said turning to Xander, exchanging a confused look with her friend "But I really don't have any idea what that means" Buffy turned back to Sean "Is that some kind of freaky demon thing?"

"No" Sean replied "It's a freaky quantum physic thing"

"No demons then?" Xander said, just wanting to clarify the point. Xander followed after Buffy when she walked past him and down the stairs to where Sean was standing.

Sean shook his head "Just science"

Buffy crossed her arms and stood infront of Sean "Somehow that's *not* making me feel a whole lot better"

Sean looked her up and down "Somehow that doesn't surprise me"

Buffy took a step closer to him "What. The. Hell. Is going. On?" she arched a single eyebrow, letting Sean know she wasn't prepared to take any crap "And why should we believe anything you say?"

"You saw each other leap yeah?" Sean asked, "When you glowed all white?"

Buffy and Xander shared another look - they knew what he was talking about. They turned back to Sean, both wearing identical 'all right - we're listening' looks.

"That was leaping, huh?" Xander said "Not one of the better experiences in my life"

Sean nodded "And you leapt here. Jumped into someone else's body"

"*What*? *Why*?" Buffy started frowning again "*What* *for*? And *what* does it have to do with *you*?"

Sean looked at them both and sighed "Sit and I shall explain"

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(About half an hour later...)

Buffy sat at the library table and looked up at Sean "...so we're here by mistake?"

"Yes" Sean said simply. He shrugged helplessly "Sorry"

"Uh huh" Buffy continued "And the rest of this... let me get this straight. You're a hologram tuned to our brainwaves. You work for a project called Quantum Leap which specialises in signing people up to jump into someone *else's* body to correct mistakes that could ultimately effect the world as we know it, because the people you jumped them *into* can't do it themselves for some reason or other *but* the new people can" Buffy pinched the bridge of her nose briefly "Then you leap them back out and they go back to their own lives. Except, the fantastic and state of the art computer that you use to do this went" she looked at Sean "To use your words- 'a bit loopy' - and dragged us out of *our* lives instead"

"That's pretty much it" Sean replied "Sorry again".

Xander raised his head from the table and looked at Buffy "You forgot about the part where they can't send us back. At least not until they figure out the exact, *exact* moment in time and space where they got us from"

Buffy scowled at Sean "Silly me"

"There is some good news" Sean tried to reassure them "When we do figure out how to send you back. We can do it to the exact moment you left. *And* we can keep you two together all the time as well"

"Oh yay" Xander said flatly "That's such excellent good news for... *right* *now*"

Buffy slumped back in her chair "But it does mean that whatever happens because I'm... *we're* not there... won't ever happen. At least not if I can help it"

Sean looked at them both "You really are taking this better than I thought you would"

Xander looked back at him "You'd be surprised what doesn't surprise us" he paused "But I still think this *totally* *sucks*"

"All right" Buffy sat up straighter "If we're going to do this-"

"We're *doing* this?" Xander interrupted "Since when?"

"Since this guy told us we stand a better chance of getting home quicker if we do" Buffy answered "Y'know the whole gathering more information about each time we do the leap thing"

Xander dropped his head onto the table again "You and your good reasons" he looked back at Buffy again "OK, carry on"

Buffy gave him a understanding smile then turned to Sean who was waiting patiently "All right" Buffy started again "Who exactly are we and what do we have to do?"

Sean flipped open the small black box, which revealed it to be an electronic device with a small screen and a tiny keypad "You" he pointed to Buffy "You're Maria Benson. Sixteen years old. Student here at Sunnydale High" Sean looked at the screen again then turned to Xander "You're Stuart Carter. Seventeen. Not a student here or anywhere else for that matter"

"So what do we have to do?" Buffy asked "Please tell me it doesn't involve helping Maria pass any classes, 'cos I don't really wanna be back at this school"

Sean raised an eyebrow in surprise "You went here?"

"We both did" Xander supplied "We also blew the school up when we graduated"

Sean stared at them "That was a joke right?"

Buffy shook her head "We really hated this school"

"It was hell" Xander added and shared a slight smile with Buffy.

"Uh huh" Sean said slowly. He shot them both an odd look then carried on "But if you both went here it might explain why the computer picked you two up instead of the other couple we were trying to get"

"So how do we help Maria and Stuart then?" Buffy asked.

Sean looked at the screen and pressed a few buttons on the keypad "Ah"

"That didn't sound like a good 'Ah'" Buffy said, her brow creasing "What?"

"Apparently the original Maria was on course to be some kind of brilliant scientist but unfortunately she gets killed tonight" Sean told them "You have to save her"

Buffy exchanged a look with Xander then looked at Sean "Killed how?"

"Coroners report said 'Misadventure'" Sean replied "But two puncture marks were also found on her neck. When I say puncture, I mean bite. So I'm guessing vampire"

Buffy really couldn't be bothered to ask how he knew about the demon world. "So... all I have to do" she said "Is not go to wherever it was that this Maria got herself bit" Buffy frowned a little "Sounds a little too easy"

"Where was she found?" Xander asked.

"Behind a club called the Bronze" Sean answered "You two know it?"

Both Buffy and Xander nodded. "So what do we do in the mean time?" Xander asked.

"Just stay out of trouble" Sean replied "If it sounds to easy it usually is. Be careful"

"Uh... I have a question" Xander asked "What if we run into us?"

"Us" Buffy said when Sean looked confused "Our younger selves. Here" she explained "We're at this school now"

"Then do nothing that would mean you have to interact with you... them" Sean replied "Not even close friends. It could effect who you are today. Who you've become" he explained "Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guessing there might be mistakes *you* might want rectifying-" 

Buffy cut him off "I get it" she said and looked at Xander who nodded "We get it" Buffy looked back at Sean "We only get to help who you want us to help, right?"

"I'm sorry" Sean said honestly "That's the way it goes. We learnt the hard way"

Buffy sighed again and let her head fall onto the table and groaned in despair. Xander leaned forward and propped his elbows up on the table, resting his chin in his hands "I think you were right earlier" he said, "You're never going to have a normal life"

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After a little more discussion with Sean, Buffy and Xander decided it would be better if they avoided school for the day and that they should stick together for the time they had here. They went back to Maria's home first and luckily there was no one around. Buffy found a key hidden in a hanging basket on the front porch and let herself in. Now, a couple of hours later, they sat together on Maria's bed.

Buffy cast a sideways glance at Xander. She was worried about him. He hadn't said much since they'd left the school. Buffy put a hand gently on his knee. Xander glanced at her and gave her a small smile.

"Sorry I'm not more chatty" he said with a sigh "It's just all beginning to sink in"

"I know" Buffy agreed "It's like suddenly... big picture"

"Everyone is going to be going nuts back home" Xander pointed out "Sunnydale without a Slayer is going to be-"

"Yeah it is" Buffy finished for him "But there's nothing we can do about it. Mom, Dawn, Giles and the others..." she trailed off sadly "They'll find someway to manage"

"Sean said he'd find some way to let them know we're OK"

Buffy nodded "But in the meantime, it's not going to do us a lot of good worrying about it" she sighed, thinking of her mother's situation "No matter how much we want to"

"You're right" Xander agreed. He looked around the room "We just have to stay here until tonight yeah?"

"I think so" Buffy replied "I mean, if Maria's not at the Bronze, she can't get bit"

"Sounds logical" Xander looked at his watch "It's just it's only half one in the afternoon. We've got kind of a long wait"

"Then we've got to figure out what to do when Maria's parents get home"

"I guess I'll have to check in at base sometime too" Xander realised "Perhaps we should do them both together"

"Probably a good idea. We could pretend we're doing some studying together and then leap or whatever from yours"

"Sounds like a plan"

Xander grinned half-heartedly back "I just want to do all this with out losing any limbs or anything else, 'cos the quicker we get through all this the quicker we get back home and back to normal"

"Normal on the Hellmouth" Buffy raised an eyebrow at him "That's a novel idea"

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Both Buffy and Xander breathed a sigh of relief when they stood outside Maria's home a little while later that afternoon after getting through a conversation with Maria's mother.

"There's something to be said about parents who don't really care what their kids get up to" Xander said as he and Buffy began the walk to Stuart's home "That was almost too-"

"Uh uh" Buffy broke in "Don't jinx it"

"Sorry"

"S'okay" Buffy said, "We're just-"

"Hey Maria!"

Buffy groaned and turned around to face the same girl from earlier at school, a pretty, petite blonde, quickly approaching. For the life of her, Buffy couldn't remember her name.

"Hey" Buffy greeted "Whatcha doing?"

"Wondering why the hell you skipped school" their new companion said "Don't tell me you were spending it with this loser here" she indicated Xander.

"Actually I was" Buffy said, slipping in a bright smile "You'd be surprised at the amount of fun we had"

"I'm a fun guy" Xander supplied, with a grin of his own "Sorry..." Xander searched through his brain "-Cara to ruin your ideals of me"

"Oh *please* Stuart" Cara said "Like I *give* a crap what you think" Cara looked at Buffy "Maria, don't you remember what I was like after he dumped me? How can you be hanging out with him?"

Buffy shrugged helplessly "Uhhh..."

Cara continued "I know it was like, a year ago, but *still*"

"Cara" Buffy said "I'm sorry, but was there anything else I can do for you because we've sorta got plans"

Cara huffed a little "Me and Louisa were wondering if you were still going to the Bronze tonight" Cara scowled at Xander "That is if you can tear yourself away from your new friend"

"It's probably best if you don't ruin Maria's friendships while you're here" Sean said helpfully as he suddenly appeared behind Cara.

"What?" Xander looked over Cara's head at Sean.

"I *said* that is if you can tear yourself away from your new friend" Cara repeated, giving Xander an odd look.

Buffy looked at Sean like he was mad. Sean shrugged "All you've got to do is keep Maria inside until midnight and you're home free. It's easy"

"Jinx" both Xander and Buffy mumbled under their breath.

Cara gave them both an odd look then spoke just to Buffy "Look if you can come tonight, I promise not to tell Louisa about your lapse in sanity today and hopefully-" Cara looked scornfully at Xander - who just pulled a face back at her - before speaking to Buffy again "-You'll have a lapse about today as well"

"Well you never know" Buffy said brightly "But for the time being I'm not having a lapse. So until the Bronze tonight... bye"

Cara rolled her eyes and gave Buffy a 'You're out of your head' look before she turned about face and crossed over the road, walking away from Buffy and Xander.

Buffy and Xander glared at Sean "I thought we'd seen the last of you for today" Xander said "You going to be showing up often like this?"

"On and off" Sean replied "I just stopped by to tell you to try and keep Maria and Stuart's lives as normal as possible. That goes for everyone you're going to jump into along this little adventure of yours" he shrugged nonchalantly "Have fun" and with that he disappeared.

Buffy turned to Xander "OK. He maybe cute, but there is no way I'm ever going to like him a lot"

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(Later that evening)

Buffy made eye contact with Xander almost as soon as she walked into the Bronze. He was standing at the bar by himself and acknowledged Buffy by giving her a nod and a quick smile.

Buffy smiled back, noting that at least Stuart had a better wardrobe than Xander had, as Xander looked extremely passable in a tight fitting, short sleeved, black shirt and Dockers.

She and Xander had separated about an hour and a half ago. Buffy had left Stuart's home to go back to Maria's to find something else to wear herself and then she had gone over to her *own* home and waited until her younger self had left before sneaking in and pilfering a couple of stakes, a cross and some holy water which were now hidden about her person.

Buffy walked around the edge of the club for a couple of minutes before she spotted Cara and a tall, pretty brunette she vaguely recognised as being Louisa. Buffy plastered a smile on her face and made her way over to the two girls who were seated by themselves at a table, a drink infront of them both.

Buffy steeled herself as she sat down opposite the two girls "So... what did I miss at school?"

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After a couple of minutes watching Buffy get settled with her two new 'friends', Xander cast a sidelong glance into the mirror at the back of the bar and looked at his reflection. He gave himself a mental shake and muttered "Oh boy" under his breath.

At least all they had to do was stay in the Bronze until midnight and then they'd be out of here and on to the next job.

Whatever that was.

And to make matters worse he was already missing Anya like crazy. Not to mention everyone else.

Xander looked over at Buffy and saw how hard she was trying to look interested in the conversation that was going on around her. Xander knew it had to be just as tough for Buffy, knowing that she couldn't be where she wanted to be and taking care of her mother and Dawn instead of sitting at the Bronze and making conversation with two people she barely knew.

They were both just glad that they weren't doing this alone.

Xander was about to wander away from the bar when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Well look who it is" a voice said from behind him.

Xander turned around and came face to face with a large and angry looking guy who, Xander seemed to remember, had picked on him rather a lot most of his life. And at that moment he didn't look too happy with 'Stuart' either.

"Hey Derran" Xander said coolly "And what can I do for you?"

Derran laid his hand heavily on Xander's right shoulder "Well Stuart, it seems that you didn't seem to take any notice of me when I told you to stay the hell away from Maria"

"I hate to state the obvious here Derran, but I'm actually no where near Maria at the moment" Xander kept his voice even, hoping that the evening wasn't suddenly going to go downhill this soon "Looks like I was paying attention"

"Carter" Derran said, gripping Xander's shoulder harder "Don't get smart with me. I don't like it" he got his face within a few inches of Xander's "I know she cut class to spend the day with you" Derran's eyes narrowed "Now are you going to tell me that nothing went on?"

Xander grabbed hold of Derran's wrist and removed Derran's hand from his shoulder "Nothing went on" Xander smiled thinly at Derran who just glared back at him "And I'm sure if you ask Maria she'll say the same thing" Xander held Derran's steely gaze "Now, if you don't mind" Xander finished there and walked off, leaving Derran looking coldly after him.

-------------------

Buffy had been keeping half an eye on Xander while she was sitting with Louisa and Cara and she couldn't help but smile when she saw Xander just walk away from the guy.

"I thought Derran was gonna kick his ass" Cara said as she turned her attention back to the girls and looked specifically at Buffy "You know it's 'cos you turned Derran down last week, don't you?"

A look of distaste crossed Buffy's face "Can't think why"

Louisa laughed "Maybe it's 'cos you've been more interested in a certain Stuart Carter's ass instead of Derran's" Louisa turned around and watched Xander as he made his way through the throng before she turned back around to Buffy "Can't think why" Louisa grinned.

Buffy grinned genuinely back at Louisa and Cara frowned. Louisa rolled her eyes "Oh please Cara" Louisa said "That's all we ever heard about when you and Stuart were dating. You'd have cut both cheeks off and framed them if you could"

Buffy smirked and Cara stuck her tongue out at both of them "Fine. Mock me. See if I care" she tried to look offended but there was a smile playing on her lips. Cara got off her stool "I'm going to the bathroom. Hopefully by the time I've got back you'll have stopped talking about butts"

Louisa smiled at Buffy when Cara had gone "Maria, don't worry about her. If you start dating Stuart, she's only going to whine for a week before she finds something else to start on about. I mean, you know Cara"

Buffy kept smiling "Yeah"

Louisa gave her an odd look "You OK?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. I'm fine" Buffy tried to reassure her "Just been an odd day"

"Yeah, you don't often skip school" Louisa gave Buffy a conspirital grin "He must be worth it"

"There's a lot more to him than people give him credit for" Buffy replied, smiling back genuinely "He's a good person"

"The Benson seal of approval huh?" Louisa raised both her eyebrows "He must be something special then"

-------------------

Xander stood by himself in a less crowded area of the Bronze. Xander sighed and looked at his watch and then sighed again. It wasn't anywhere near midnight. He looked back up and tried not to look too startled when Sean appeared in front of him suddenly.

"I know" Sean gave him an apologetic look "But we don't really have an early warning system. OK" he continued "Don't look directly at me when I speak, just keep looking sullen and bored out of your skull like you have been doing and you'll be fine"

"Just get on with it" Xander mumbled as he took a gulp of his drink.

Sean cleared his throat "I've taken your request to the project co-ordinators and they've agreed that due to your, uh, special circumstances, we can inform the relevant people from your lives about what has happened to you"

Xander sighed loudly with relief and got a few odd looks from the few people scattered around him. Sean motioned to Xander to follow him. Xander made his way through the small groups of people after Sean, who just walked through them, literally, to a payphone.

"Pick it up and use it to talk to me" Sean explained "You won't look like such a freak then"

Xander picked up the phone "Thanks for the info" he said, looking gratefully at Sean "Are we still on track for this evening though?" Xander asked, "We're looking good, yeah?"

Sean looked Xander up and down then looked back at Xander, his eyebrow arched suggestively "Works for me"

Xander stared back at him "Sean" he said in hushed tones "I'm having a weird enough day already without having holograms hitting on me"

"Just saying what I think" Sean said with a smile "*And* I'm a holographic *projection*. I am an *actual* person. Unfortunately at the moment I can only look - not touch"

Xander self-consciously crossed his arms infront of his chest, about to reply when Buffy joined them, concern etched on her face. Buffy kept her voice low "I think we might have a problem"

"What is it?" Sean and Xander asked together and gave Buffy an anxious look.

"I'm going to die of boredom" Buffy kept her face straight.

Sean rolled his eyes but Xander gave Buffy a smile of sympathy. "Girly chat not entertaining enough?"

"My perspective on life differs somewhat than theirs" Buffy replied "Not that they aren't nice girls, but I have bigger issues than whether my bag matches my shoes"

"Can I just point out" Sean said "That no excitement is usually a good sign"

"Uh huh" Buffy raised an eyebrow at Sean "Nothing ever goes quietly in this town Sean believe me" she turned to Xander "Wanna dance?"

"Gladly" Xander allowed Buffy to lead him off towards the dancefloor.

Sean watched after hem as they walked off. He shook his head a little and sighed "And when will they understand that they're total newbies to this whole gig" Sean pulled out his little black box and tapped a few keys before disappearing into thin air.

It was a slow song; Buffy had her arms looped loosely around Xander's neck and shoulders and Xander's hands rested gently on Buffy's waist.

"What did Sean want?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, good news" Xander replied "They're able to let the others know what's happened to us" Xander paused for a second "Although it still doesn't make me feel any better about it all"

"That's why I'm trying my hardest not to think about it" Buffy sighed sadly "But it'll work out. It has to"

They danced on for at least another half-hour before someone approached Buffy from behind and tapped her on her shoulder. Buffy turned around to see Cara. Buffy looked expectantly at the other blonde girl.

"Maria, you've got to help me" Cara pleaded "Louisa is in a complete state. She's in the bathroom and she's locked herself in one of the stalls. I can't get her to come out"

"What happened?" Buffy asked, "How did she get like that?"

"I don't know. I wasn't there" Cara confessed "I think some creep might have tried something"

Buffy turned to look at Xander "I'd better go"

Xander nodded "Of course" he then spoke to Cara "I'll ask about - see if anyone knows anything"

"Um... thanks" Cara sounded a little surprised at his words. She smiled briefly at him before heading off with Buffy.

-------------------

It was about twenty minutes later when Buffy and Cara finally managed to coax her out of the bathroom. Buffy took some money out of Maria's purse, she was sure Maria wouldn't mind, and gave it to Cara when the other girl said she was going to walk Louisa home.

"Get a cab" Buffy insisted "It's too late to think about walking. I'm going to stay" she continued as she walked with Cara and Louisa towards the exit "I'll see if, Xa-, um, Stuart has found anything out"

"I'll call you tomorrow" Cara gave Buffy a small smile before Buffy turned around and headed back into the Bronze.

On her first look around she didn't spot Xander, so she made her way towards the bathroom as nature called. When she left the bathroom a few minutes later, about to resume her search for Xander, a loud clatter in the otherwise quiet corridor that that ran from the bathrooms to the fire exit attracted her attention and Buffy headed a little further down to investigate.

Suddenly two hands grabbed hold of Buffy tightly. One hand quickly clamped itself over her mouth, preventing her from making a sound. The second hand encircled her waist, pulling her back against whoever had hold of her.

Buffy's automatic reaction was, obviously, to try and free herself, but she was finding it difficult. She tried to kick back but it was to no avail and she kept on struggling as she found herself being dragged backwards, out through the fire exit and into the dark, empty area behind the Bronze.

Once out side, Buffy's attacker threw her hard onto the floor and Buffy fell face first onto the dirty, damp ground. Automatically Buffy reached for the stake she tucked in the back of her skirt, but she found it missing. She rolled over onto her back and prepared to flip to her feet and found herself face to face with Derran.

Expecting to see a figure in vamp face, Buffy blinked in surprise when she realised her attacker was human - she could see the slight mist in the air as his warm breath mixed with the cold air. This moment of surprise allowed Derran to grab Buffy by her arm and haul her to her feet. He slammed her back up against the wall and pressed his face close to hers.

"Maria, Maria, Maria" he whispered with menace. Buffy could smell the vast amounts of alcohol on his breath. She tried to struggle free but found she couldn't - Derran wouldn't budge. Derran laughed at her efforts and pushed his whole weight against her, using a free hand to cover her mouth again before Buffy could call out.

"Maria" Derran said again "Y'know you really hurt me when you said you wouldn't go out with me. And now I find that you're off with Carter. That" he said through gritted teeth "*Really* hurts"

Buffy just stared coldly back at Derran and tried to struggle free again, but again it was no good. Derran was human and she couldn't fight. Really, she couldn't. Buffy realised that she had no supernatural strength. That she was just, in this world, a small, skinny brunette and that Derran was a drunk, hulking, six-foot-six quarterback. That she really was in a lot of trouble.

Derran put his mouth barely millimetres from her ear "What's he got that I haven't, huh?" he hissed "Come on, tell me. I wanna know" Derran drew back and smirked at Buffy's futile attempts to still free herself "Don't try and fight it Maria" Derran put another hand on Buffy's thigh, his weight alone enough to still stop Buffy getting away " I know it's me you really want"

Buffy's expletive ridden reply was muffled against Derran's hand and she screwed her eyes shut when his hand then slid further down and lifted the hem of her skirt. They got closed even tighter when Derran's hand started to work it's way slowly up her bare thigh.

Having her eyes shut was probably why she didn't see Xander crack Derran over the head with a piece of two-by-four. Derran immediately recoiled, bringing both his hands to his head. He staggered backwards which allowed Buffy to get away. She moved about a couple of feet and slid down to the floor, her legs suddenly like jelly, as she watched Xander hit Derran on his back, sending the quarterback to his knees.

Xander went over to Buffy and was about to help her to her feet when he saw the panicked look in her eyes that was directed over his shoulder and fell to the side with Buffy as Derran launched himself at them. Derran hit the wall. It didn't deter him and Derran was soon back on his feet, dragging Xander back with him, away from Buffy who was still in shock.

Buffy winced as Derran hit Xander hard in the face, causing her friend to fall to the floor. But Xander's quick reactions meant that when Derran went for him again, Xander sideswiped the bigger guy, bringing Derran to the floor beside him. Xander flipped himself on the Derran and got three or four good bone crunching punches in before he realised that Derran was unconscious. He got to his feet and kicked Derran in his side for good measure.

Xander looked over to Buffy, who was now on her feet. She looked at Xander with wide eyes "I couldn't fight him" she whispered softly "I-I tried but I-I- c-couldn't. I-I-"

Xander was by her side "Hey shhh" he comforted her, wrapping his arms around her, Xander's hand resting gently on the back of her head when Buffy buried her face in his chest "Buffy, it's OK"

Buffy's hands clutched at the back of Xander's shirt, her nails digging into Xander's flesh a little, but he didn't complain. "I'm not the Slayer anymore " she sobbed quietly "It's all gone"

Xander kissed the top of her head "It's going to be OK" he tried to sound convincing for Buffy "We'll cope"

Buffy tilted her tear-stained face up to him "How?"

"We have to" Xander replied, using Buffy's own words from earlier.

Buffy sniffed delicately and took one hand away from Xander to wipe her tears away. She looked over at where Derran still lay on the ground then looked back at Xander "You really kicked his ass"

"*No* one messes with *any* of my girls" Xander replied, trying to keep it light, but Buffy could see he was totally serious.

Buffy smiled a little though "My hero"

"You two better get inside"

Buffy and Xander broke apart a little when both turned to see that Sean had appeared a few feet away. Xander stared evenly at Sean "You'd better tell us we aren't expecting anymore trouble tonight"

Sean looked at Derran lying on the floor and then tapped a few keys on his little black gadget "Looks like he'll have a headache and a fair few bruises, but nothing worse. The cops'll catch up to him too"

"If you know so much" Buffy said, sounding hurt "You could've warned me"

"He warned me" Xander explained to Buffy "I got out here as quick as I could. It took me a couple of moments before I realised you weren't winning"

"Something I'll have to get used to" Buffy realised sadly. She leaned against Xander when he put his arm around her shoulder "I just want to go home" she sighed.

"We're trying" Sean reassured them "We *will* get you back"

"Just a question of *when*, right?" Xander asked in a tired voice.

Sean gave them both an apologetic smile "Just think of the people you now get to help. The difference you'll make"

"We're always helping people" Buffy replied "It's going to be nothing new"

"Oh, it'll always be new" Sean said, an odd smile flitting over his face before he disappeared into thin air.

Buffy could hear voices from not too far away "Best we get inside, huh?" she said to Xander. He nodded and they both walked the few steps back over to the fire exit that was banging to and fro slightly in the breeze. As they were about to re-enter the Bronze again, Buffy glanced up at Xander just in time to see him bathed in a bright white light, tinted with blue streaks...

... and then everything went black.

=============

The adventure continues….

Read the next episode **_"Daddy's Girl"_** ...


	2. Daddy's Girl

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Two: "Daddy's Girl"

Summary: Family relationships could turn Buffy and Xander's second leap into their last.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG14  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.  
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander blinked once everything became light again. Then he blinked a couple more times when he realised he wasn't seeing things and that, indeed, Buffy was sitting astride him as he laid on his back on the floor and that, indeed, she did have his hands pinned to the floor above his head.

It took Buffy about the same amount of time as Xander to realise her position. She let go of his hands immediately and sat upright, but didn't actually get up off him.

"Where the hell are we?" she muttered looking around. There was no one else in the room.

They appeared to be in someone's very large sitting room. A very rich some one. It was tastefully decorated with a mixture of antique and modern looking furnishings. She and Xander were upon a large Oriental rug that lay between a huge fireplace and a large brown leather couch. 

"Um Buff" Xander said hesitantly "You think maybe you wanna move?"

Buffy arched one eyebrow "Are you saying I'm heavy?"

"No, no" Xander said quickly "You're a tiny person. It's just-" Xander didn't get any further as he saw, just to the right of Buffy, someone else enter the room.

It was a fairly tall, pretty blonde woman in her late thirties. She was perfectly coifed and immaculately dressed in a cream, linen suit. She took one look at Buffy and Xander - Buffy was still straddling Xander - and put a hand to her brow and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

"Susan dear" she spoke curtly "Please get off your father"

Buffy turned and blinked slowly at the older woman who was now walking over to them "Um..." Buffy turned back to Xander who just looked back unhelpfully at her. Buffy scooted quickly off of Xander and sat to the side of him, looking back at the blonde woman apprehensively.

"And don't say 'um'" the other woman replied, now only a foot away "Young *ladies* don't say 'um'"

"You just did" Buffy retorted, suppressing the urge to stick her tongue out.

The older woman ignored Buffy and looked to Xander, who had now propped himself up on his elbows, "Andrew" she continued in the same sharp tone "I can't believe this. You've only had *one* hour with her and now she's *back-chatting* me?" she sighed a little disgustedly and put her hands on her hips "And what were you two doing? Wrestling? She's *twelve* Andrew. *Twelve*"

"Twelve?" Buffy mouthed silently //And this just gets better//.

"Which mean she's still a *kid*" Xander replied, having no problems in matching the glare he was receiving from the blonde woman. Xander stood up and straightened out his clothes "Why don't you lighten up?"

"Susan" the woman's tone was softer but still firm "Room. Now"

"But I-" Buffy was about to protest further when Sean suddenly appeared beside the woman.

"Go" he said "I can talk to you then. I'll meet you at the top of the stairs after I've filled Xander in a some stuff"

"Go on Susan" Xander put a hand on her shoulder "I'll talk to you a little later"

Buffy looked up at him "Sure. *Dad*" Buffy got up and headed towards the door that she saw led on to a hall way. She turned around just before she was about to exit and saw Xander take a defensive stance. Buffy managed to catch his eye for a brief moment and gave him a sympathetic smile before going out into the hallway.

Xander wanted desperately to follow after Buffy. How come she got it easy? //OK. I can do this. I dated Cordelia//.

"Her names Felicity" Sean explained to Xander, indicating the woman he was standing next to "Your ex-wife"

"Andrew" Felicity sat down on the couch and put one hand to her forehead "I'm tired of this"

"Tired of what?" Xander asked.

Sean tapped a few keys on his pad "You divorced three years ago and you're visiting your daughter Susan" Sean told Xander "You're loaded and this used to be your house" he shrugged at Xander "That should be enough for now. I'll go check in with Buffy'. Sean disappeared.

"Tired of Susan thinking you're Mr Wonderful" Felicity dropped both her hands into her lap and frowned a little at Xander "When you're anything but"

"Felicity" Xander kept his expression blank "I really think that I should be spending my time here with Susan, don't you?"

Felicity stood up and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead that had dared to fall out of place "I guess I should be glad that you actually want to spend time with her"

"Yeah... well" Xander began to feel a little awkward - he wasn't really geared up for a conversation about parenting "Look, I should go up to her" Xander nodded his head towards the door "I'll check in with you later, yeah?"

Felicity shrugged disinterestedly and walked away from him, starting to examine a display of flowers. Xander rolled his eyes and headed in the direction Buffy had taken.

-------------------

Buffy had jogged up the stairs and almost fell back down them again when Sean suddenly materialised in front of her.

"Geez " Buffy steadied herself against the landing railing "Watch it with that would you?"

"You really like shooting the messenger don't you?"

"What?" Buffy gave Sean an odd look. She waved it off "Never mind. Where's my room?" Buffy asked, ignoring Sean's comment for the moment "I want to find a mirror"

Sean sighed and led Buffy down the upper hallway to a large bedroom, decorated not unlike the rest of the house but obviously a kid's room as there were posters on the wall and toys scattered around the edge of the room. Buffy went immediately to the standing full size mirror that was in one corner of the room.

"Oh my god" Buffy waved her hand slowly a couple of times at her reflection "I really *am* twelve". Buffy's reflection showed a girl, just a little bit shorter than Buffy and about the same build, with dark hair in two plaits either side of her head that hung down to her waist. She had a sweetly pretty face with a smattering of freckles over her nose and cheeks and large brown eyes framed by long lashes.

Sean stood behind her "I think it's the Kermit T-shirt that adds that finishing touch"

Buffy turned around and shot Sean a dark look.

"Do your mothers teach you *that* *look*?" Sean asked "Or is it something that just comes naturally to all women?"

"Actually" Buffy replied, putting her hands on her hips "You think they just take us girls aside when we're at school to talk about periods, when in fact, they're actually teaching us how to do the *look*. We're not allowed to leave until we've mastered it totally"

"Well, you learn something new everyday"

Buffy scowled at him and stomped past him and sat down on Susan's big, pink quilt-covered bed. "You never said anything before about me not having my Slayer powers. That's kind of a *big* something to miss out"

"Buffy, if we'd have known we were getting a superhero we could have calibrated the computer to your vitals and kept you with your strength" Sean tried to explain "*But* because you're here by mistake" he carried on "We can't. It's too late now"

"I'm just saying" Buffy responded "That it would have been nice to know that *before* I got attacked by that asshole Derran"

"I'm sorry" Sean said earnestly "Really. That's another reason why we go tag team with leapers now" Sean explained as Buffy flopped backwards onto the bed "Its safer in numbers"

"Why are we here Sean?"

"You're Susan Mackintosh. The woman downstairs with Xander is your mother, Felicity. Xander leaped into her ex-husband, Andrew-"

"My dad" Buffy finished "Oh, this is going to be heaps of fun"

"Oh, come on Buff" Xander said as he entered the room "I'll buy you ice-cream, push you on the swings. We'll have a blast"

"You escaped and found us then?" Buffy sat up and smiled at Xander.

"Just followed the voices" Xander replied, sitting next to Buffy. He looked at Sean "What's up then?"

"Felicity goes missing. We don't know how or why or where" Sean replied "It's all vague" he gave them both an apologetic look "Blame the damn computer. Not me"

"We *are* dumping all of this on you aren't we?" Xander said a little awkwardly.

"Pretty much" Sean replied "But then you're pissed off and I'm the human face of the whole thing for you" Sean shrugged "S'understandable"

"Great" Buffy said as Xander got up, him having spotted the mirror in the corner "Now we've got that sorted out, can you tell us how we're supposed to stop this woman from going missing?"

"Just keep tabs on her" Sean replied "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. It's all you can do until we can get more info for you" Sean turned to look at Xander who was poking at his face "Xander, it's only a reflection" Sean walked over to him and stood at his side "It's not *you*"

Buffy got up too and joined the guys at the mirror and looked at Xander's reflection "Ooh check out the George Michael wannabe" Buffy smirked, noting the hair and stubble. And the tight jeans. "Very Wham"

Xander's reflection glared back at Buffy "Can it Kermit"

Sean cleared his throat to get their attention. The other two turned to look at him expectantly "Can I leave you two to it?" Sean asked, "I'll try smacking the computer a bit. See if won't tell us something more"

"Sure" Buffy said, "Me and Dad can cope"

Sean grinned at Xander's pained expression "Have fun"

Buffy headed over to Susan's desk when Sean disappeared. She ran her fingers lightly over the small stack of study books that lay in one corner. There was a pot of pens and pencils next to them, but most importantly there was also a calendar. "June fifth, nineteen ninety" Buffy read out loud.

"Well that explains most of the décor" Xander said, looking around the room.

Buffy joined Xander as he gazed out of the window "So... whatcha want to do Dad?"

Xander looked down at her and rolled his eyes. Buffy had put on an innocent face and was really managing to pull off the little girl act, especially as her own hair was in plaits too. Xander pretended to look stern "Do you want me to ground you?"

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Very helpful"

Buffy grinned "Come on. I guess if this is *my* house, it won't look odd if I start poking around"

"You mean look for clues?"

"Well, we are still the Scooby Gang" Buffy replied "Even if we are down a few pesky kids"

Xander's expression became more serious "You think the others took it well?"

Buffy sighed "I don't know Xander" Buffy turned to look out the window "I hope so" Buffy rested her arms on the window sill "But I know I can't worry about them and keep doing this"

Xander took up the same position on the sill as Buffy "Plus you aren't Slay gal anymore" Xander said softly "That's gotta be tough"

Buffy leaned a little up against Xander "Ill cope. It's not gonna be forever"

They stood in silence for a few moments before Buffy spoke again. "You want to go raid some cupboards?"

"Sure thing kid"

-------------------

__

(An hour later)

Buffy and Xander had managed to find themselves in Felicity's bedroom on their hunt around the house. Xander had thought that maybe there would be a few maids or other people around the house, but it appeared that there was only he and Buffy and Felicity - wherever she was now.

Still, Xander kept his voice low "Buffy, I still don't know if we've found anything useful" Xander picked up a picture of Felicity and Susan that was on one of the nightstands "Hell, I don't know what we can say *is* useful"

Buffy's head was buried in one part of the wardrobe that ran the full length of one wall "Um, I don't know Xan" came her muffled voice "Letters or-or something written down" Buffy closed the wardrobe door and turned around to face Xander "Nothing in there"

Xander walked over to Buffy and showed her the picture he'd picked up "Looks like Susan and her mom don't get along too well"

"What makes you say that?" Buffy said as she studied the photo "They both look happy"

"Believe me Buff" Xander said "I got me enough pictures like this back at my parents place to know what I'm talking about"

"Oh" Buffy wasn't too sure what else to say as Xander put the picture back where he found it. Buffy cast another quick look around the room before her gaze cam back to rest on Xander and saw him looking at a few more pictures on the dressing table "You think it might be a clue or something?"

"Maybe. I don't know" Xander walked back over to Buffy "You could try and talk to her" he suggested "See if she says anything that might help us"

"Ugh" Buffy's shoulders sagged "Why can't you talk to her?"

"Because I don't live here" Xander reminded her gently "And I don't think I got off to such a good start with her"

"OK, I'll give it a go" Buffy agreed reluctantly.

"I'll do some digging when I leave here. Our favourite holographic projection might have some more information by then" Xander reached round to the back of his jeans and pulled out a wallet. He flicked through it before finding what he was looking for. Xander handed Buffy a small card with Andrew' home number on it "We'll need to keep in touch if we aren't outta here by tonight" he said, "It'll probably be easier for you to get in touch with me"

Buffy looked at the card then looked back at Xander "Y'know, I kinda like take-charge you" she said with a smile.

"Yeah, so does Anya"

"Can I just ask *exactly* what is the *thing* you can do with the vaulting horse?"

"What are you two doing in here?"

Buffy and Xander's heads snapped round when they heard Felicity's voice cut across the room.

"Umm... hide and seek?" Buffy ventured.

"She found me" Xander added quickly "We were about to start again" a thought flashed through his mind "You want to play?"

Felicity put her hands on her hips "Excuse me?"

Xander took a few steps towards her "Do you want to play?" he repeated "Come on Felicity, it'll be fun"

Buffy gave Xander a brief puzzled look, wondering what he was doing, "Uh... yeah sure mom" Buffy looked at Felicity and smiled a little, hoping it was a good plan that Xander had "We'll go hide and dad can spend hours trying to find us"

Felicity looked at her daughter apprehensively "This isn't some kind of trick you two are playing on me is it?"

"Not that I'm aware of" Xander flashed her a goofy grin "Come on" he cajoled "Ya know ya wanna"

"Hide and seek?" Felicity was still looking at them both dubiously "I-I don't-"

"Mom, come on" Buffy grabbed hold of Felicity's hand, realising that Xander thought that if Felicity was relaxed she might open up to Buffy a little and that it also gave Xander the chance to snoop about the house "We'll go hide together" Buffy continued "Dad can count extra long, like a thousand or something, so we get a really good place"

Felicity didn't really have time to protest as Buffy tugged her towards the door, leaving Xander behind to start the search.

Once Buffy and Felicity were far enough out of the way, Xander took another long look around the room. He double checked the drawers and even went through the wardrobe again, but couldn't find anything that would relate to why Felicity might go missing. Xander scanned over the surfaces of the cabinets and shelves, but still he found nothing else that caught his attention.

Sighing, Xander made his way over to the one door he and Buffy had opened but not checked the room behind it. Felicity's en suite bathroom. On first impressions it looked spotless to Xander. Really. Every surface gleamed, towels were hung on rails and not the floor, there wasn't even the slightest hint of mildew on the tiles. Xander shook his head in disbelief //How can people live like this?//.

Yawning, Xander ran a hand through his hair. He turned to his left and caught sight of himself in the mirror of the medicine cabinet that was fixed on the wall above the sink. Xander figured that he might be a little younger than Felicity, early thirties maybe - although Andrew was trying to look younger than that. //Hardly 'Wham' though. Maybe more 'Faith'//. Xander brushed some dark blonde hair off his forehead before shaking his head again. He closed his eyes, leaning forward so his head rested on the reflective glass //Our lives are different from other peoples//

-------------------

"I really don't know what's got into your father" Felicity sighed as she was still led by the hand by Buffy "Most of the time he barely speaks to me when he is here with you and now he wants to play children's games?"

"*Mom*" Buffy stopped which meant Felicity had to stop as well. Buffy put her hands on her hips and pouted, hoping that she looked childlike enough for the older woman "Please, can we all try and get on?" Buffy widened her eyes - trying for the puppy dog look "You used to be married to Dad. You must have liked him a little"

Felicity pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes at Buffy, not in anger, but in puzzlement "What side of the bed did you get out this morning I wonder?"

Buffy shrugged "What? I can't be nice?"

"You can be sweetie" Felicity replied "It's just that you do seem to choose your moments. This morning you told me that I was the wicked bitch of the west" Felicity smiled much to Buffy's surprise "Believe me, I would have been upset had you not then called your fathers new girlfriend the exact same thing"

"Well... I didn't mean it"

"About me or her?"

"You"

"Glad to hear it sweetie. Glad to hear it"

-------------------

__

(Half and hour later)

Xander had searched through all the rooms on the upper floor //Place is like the Tardis// Xander thought as he stood at the top of the stairs //How am I gonna find Buffy?//. Xander jogged quickly down the stairs and was about to wander off to investigate the hallway to his right when Sean appeared.

"Just the person" Xander stated quietly "You have anything else for us?"

Sean shook his head "Not as yet. You find anything we might be able to run past the computer?"

"Couple of things" Xander replied "Mother and daughter don't seem to get along so well and I also found some anti-depressants in her bathroom cabinet"

"Anti-depressants? Hardly solid stuff" Sean replied "Lots of people take them"

"Yeah? Well there isn't a lot *else* to go on Sean"

"Maybe Buffy's found something"

"Yeah..." Xander slumped back against the nearest wall "... maybe"

"Xander, this job can be tough" Sean told him "Don't worry too much if everything doesn't click together immediately. It does work out eventually"

Xander sighed "And I guess you are the voice of experience, huh?"

"I am. Trust me" Sean grinned "I have a ninety-eight percent success-" the black box in Sean's hand beeped at him. Sean flipped the lid on it and looked at the small screen "And what do we have... oh crap" Sean tapped a few keys before looking back up at Xander "OK. Substitute 'missing' with 'kidnapped'

Xander stood back from the wall "Kidnapped?" he ran both his hands over his hair and kept them clasped at the back of his neck "When?"

"Soon" Sean replied "Tonight or tomorrow morning" he scanned the screen again "That's as much as we've got though"

"Do we know why she was kidnapped?"

"Nothing concrete" Sean replied. He looked around the hall they were standing in before looking back to Xander "But my first thought would be money"

"What happened the first time round?" Xander asked, his hands dropping back down to his sides "If it *was* money then what about a ransom demand or something? Wouldn't it be on a police file?"

"Not if they weren't informed about it"

"Damn it" Xander swiped a hand down his face "I need to find Buffy"

"She's in the garage"

"Where's that?"

"To the left and go straight on through the kitchen. Xander" Sean said "Try not to alarm Felicity. If we keep it normal, it'll be easier to see if anything is... well, not normal"

"I'll try" Xander began to make his way down the hall. Then he stopped and turned around "Sean, you never-" Xander stopped hen he saw that Sean wasn't there. Xander shook his head and muttered "The guy is worse than Deadboy"

-------------------

__

(A short while later)

"What's going on?" Buffy murmured out of the side of her mouth to Xander and they lagged deliberately behind, following after Felicity who was heading back into the main part of the house "You've got anxious face"

"I have?" he murmured back. Xander had been trying to play it cool since 'finding' Buffy and Felicity all of five minutes ago "I was going for calm and collected face"

"Something's happened?"

Xander gave her a brief nod in reply, only just escaping notice from Felicity as she turned around when Buffy and Xander reached the kitchen.

"Do you two want something to eat?" Felicity asked "Mind you, I've given Helena the weekend off, so it'll be whatever she's left in the freezer"

"Sure" Xander took a seat at the breakfast bar "Whatever it is has got to better than what I've got at home" he began tapping his fingers lightly on the counter top "You seem in a better mood than you were before" Xander remarked, wondering if it was because she taken any of those pills he'd found earlier "What gives?"

"Well, Andrew" Felicity's voice was slightly patronising "Believe it or not, I don't get a thrill out of being a bitch"

Buffy poked Xander in the thigh "Hey Dad?" Buffy sent silent signals to him "Didn't you want to show me that thing?"

"Susan dear" Felicity broke in before Xander could respond to Buffy "I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait until later"

"But-"

Felicity arched one eyebrow "Do you want to see the wicked bitch of the west again?"

"No" Buffy said reluctantly. She gave Xander an exasperated look when the older woman turned her back.

Xander looked quickly over at Felicity, still turned away from them, before putting his mouth to Buffy's ear "Kidnapped" he whispered as softly as he could "Not missing"

Buffy drew back and looked at Xander with wide eyes "Kidnapped?" she mouthed. Xander nodded. Buffy looked to Felicity who was now pottering around by a counter the other side of the kitchen. She turned to Xander "When?" she mouthed again.

"Soon" Xander mouthed back.

"Damn" Felicity exclaimed softly after she banged a cupboard door shut loudly. She turned around "I bought some groceries yesterday and I think I've left something in the car"

"Do you really need it mom?" Buffy asked.

"Probably. Andrew, could you go check for me?" Felicity asked "The keys are on the table by the door. It's probably under the front seat. Susan and I can make a start on something here"

"Uh... yeah" Xander got up off the stool "OK. Sure" he began to make his way to the door "You want me to get anything else outta there?"

"No, I think that's it" Felicity answered. Xander gave her a brief nod and headed out.

He found his way to the front door easy enough and picked up the only keys from the only table near the front door. One of the key fobs had a Lotus emblem and Xander raised and appreciative eyebrow //Maybe I can take it for a quick spin...//

Xander opened the front door and began tossing the keys from hand to hand, but as soon as he saw the outside of the front of the house, he stopped.

"Woah"

As Xander stood in the doorway, stone steps fanned out infront of him in a semi-circle. A gravel driveway separated the steps from the lush green lawn, a lawn that was edged with beautiful bright flowers. On the driveway stood a British racing green Lotus.

"I'm gonna have to ask if I can stay" Xander's shoulder's sagged though when he a little voice in his head told him he couldn't. He sighed and jogged down a couple of steps towards the car. He noticed a alarm dis-abler amongst the keys he held and brought was about to depress the button, he heard:

"Xander! Don't-!"

Xander's head whipped around and he saw Sean. At the same time Xander's thumb put the lightest pressure on the raised button...

Then the car exploded.

-------------------

Buffy made a bolt for the door as soon as she heard the explosion, but as soon as she made it into the hallway, Felicity had grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back.

"No!" Felicity commanded "Stay here!". The older woman left hold of Buffy and ran towards the still open front door.

Buffy ignored the older woman and ran after here, but almost colliding with Felicity when she got outside. Buffy moved around Felicity whose hands had flown to her face in shock. Buffy's cry caught in her throat when she saw the remains of the car, flames licking the metal shell and black smoke billowing up into the sky.

A strangled sob finally escaped Buffy's lip when she saw Xander's body lying prostrate on his stomach across the bottom of the steps. He wasn't moving but he was just out of reach of the flames from the car. Buffy hurried over to him, sobbing again when she saw him closer up.

The force of the explosion hadn't sent him very far, but debris had torn through his clothing and Buffy saw blackened flesh on his back, his limbs, hands and what she could see of his face. Flesh that in some places was also burned and bloody.

With tears flowing down her cheeks Buffy rolled Xander over onto his back and was greeted with similar injuries on his limbs, to a lesser extent than those on his back, but the injuries to his torso were the same. The worst being a large burn to his upper chest, covering most of his left shoulder and neck.

"No!" Buffy started to shake Xander by his shoulders "No! Nooo! Xander!"

But there was no response from him. Xander's eyes stayed closed and no breath came in sudden gasps from his mouth. Buffy drew him up a little towards her, almost cradling him against her chest "Xan?" Buffy tears rolled off her cheeks and fell on to Xander's face "Xander?" she whimpered again softly "Please wake up. Please" Buffy's voice fell to a whisper as she began caressing the side of his face "Xander"

Suddenly Buffy felt strong arms pull her back, making her lose her hold of Xander, leaving him to fall back onto the steps.

"Nooo!" Buffy cried out as she was pulled up to her feet. She looked up through teary eyes, expecting to see Felicity, but instead she saw a strange man. A strange man who then proceeded to shove a gun in her face. "No! What?!"

Buffy looked around and saw Felicity being manhandled down the steps courtesy of two large men clad in dark clothes, one of whom had a gun and was holding it against Felicity's stomach. They appeared to be taking her towards a largish white van that had suddenly appeared from nowhere, parked just behind the still flaming wreck of the Lotus.

"What's going on?" Buffy demanded, trying to appear calm, but the tears that still flowed gave her away.

"Listen little girl" the guy removed the gun from Buffy's face and shoved it back inside his shoulder holster "Just keep still and quiet and you won't end up crispy like ya pop, OK?"

Buffy looked down again at Xander's limp form and swallowed back some more sobs. The man tightened his grip on Buffy's arm and pulled her with him as he walked away from Xander and towards the van.

"Sean!" Buffy called out at the top of her lungs, not caring if she seemed looped or not "Sean! Get your ass out here now!"

"Who the hell is she talking to?!" the man who had hold of Buffy waved his gun at Felicity "I thought there was no-one else here!"

"There isn't!" Felicity's voice was shrill "I-I don't know who this Sean is!"

"Get the bitch in the van Karl" Buffy 's captor commanded the man who was jabbing a gun into Felicity "Si, you take a look around" he spoke to the other man who was with Felicity "I don't want to miss *any*one"

"We checked before T" Karl spoke to Buffy's captor "There ain't no one else here"

"Yeah T, we ain't got time" Si (or Simon as he was also known) glanced at his watch pointedly "We need to get rollin'"

"Then don't stand here arguin' with me! Karl get her in the van and Si, you get the old man" he indicated Xander with a nod of his head "I'm sure he won't mind ridin' in the back"

As Karl began to hustle Felicity in to the back of the van, Buffy whirled around, taking her captor by surprise and ergo freeing herself from his grip "Bastard!" Buffy raised her foot and slammed it into his kneecap. 'T' reeled back and staggered backwards into the cab of the van.

"*Sean*!" Buffy called out again "Sean!"

Simon grabbed hold of Buffy from behind as she attempted to run. Buffy stomped hard on his foot and as Simon fell forward slightly, Buffy slammed her head back into his face, eliciting a cry of anguish from Simon.

Buffy spun around with a high kick. Buffy realised that she might not have her strength to put behind her moves any more but she could still fight and nothing was going to stop her from trying to save herself and Felicity from this situation.

Her kick connected with Simon's head. She ducked out of 'T's reach but Simon recovered quickly and caught hold of her and shoved her to the floor. He went for her again but Buffy kicked hard at his shin and scrambled away and began to run again back up the steps and towards the house. Buffy rushed inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Leave her!" someone shouted from group still outside "She's just a kid. She can't do anything. Lets just get Andrew and get out of here!"

-------------------

Buffy's chest heaved with sobs as she leant back against the closed front door. She slid down to the floor, her knees tucked up against her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs.

//He can't be dead. He can't be...//

"*Buffy*"

//But he wasn't moving. He was so burnt. He looked so hurt//

"*Buffy* you *need* to get *up*. *Buffy*!"

Buffy raised her head and tried to focus through her tears "What?" she croaked out as a whisper "What?"

Sean crouched down beside her "You have to get up and get after him" he stated clearly but urgently "Buffy, come on"

"I-I can't. I-I-" Buffy broke off and scrubbed at her eyes "Xander's dead. He-he's dead"

"By the love of all things holy and god like we have been blessed" Sean told her. Buffy looked confused. Sean smiled warmly "We still have vitals for him" his smile then faded a little "But they're not strong. That's why we need to get moving *now*"

"He's not dead?" Buffy sniffled "Really?"

"Really" Sean confirmed "Please Buffy, we need to get going"

Buffy started to get to her feet and wiped at her eyes again "But how? How do I go after them? I don't even know where they *are*"

"So long as Xander stays with them" Sean held up his little black box "I can find them. Now *come* *on*"

"Again, I say *how*?"

"You can drive can't you?"

"Sure, but-but I don't think the one out there-"

"Andrew's car is out front of the garage. Keys under the left tyre. Buffy-" Sean spun around as Buffy sped past him "Okaaay"

Sean de-materialised and then reappeared next to Andrew's Porsche "And he keeps the keys under there?" Sean shook his head as Buffy claimed the keys and getting into the car.

"OK!" Sean said as he appeared by Buffy in the passenger seat "Lets go save that boy's cute ass"

-------------------

Simon pressed his hand to his head and swore. He drew back his hand and frowned when he saw the spots of blood on it. He glared angrily at Felicity "D'ya see what your kid did?"

"That's hardly *my* fault, is it?" Felicity scowled back at him "How was I supposed to know she could do that?"

"She's *your* kid" Karl replied from the passenger seat as 'T' was driving. Karl turned around to peer into the back of the van. There was a metal grill separating the cabin from the rest of the van, which had cushioned benches either side. Felicity was sitting opposite Simon and Xander lay on the floor on his back, still not moving. "You could have warned us she was a mini ninja"

Felicity gave him the finger "And *you* could have least wired up the damn car properly so it blew up when he was *in* it" she retorted "And *not* when he was *outside* it"

"Tell me again why we didn't just leave him there" 'T' called out "What difference does it make?"

"It shows them that we, sorry *you*, mean business" she replied "What you're capable of" Felicity brushed a speck of dirt of her skirt "Thankfully you put on a good enough show of force for the surveillance cameras" she nudged Xander's limp leg with the toe of her shoe "And I don't think Susan is much of a position to foil our plans. You get the 'ransom' for me. I give you your share" she shrugged "And maybe I might just dump the little brat off on some relatives because" Felicity put her hand to her brow theatrically "The stress of the kidnap is just about killing me'

Karl grinned at her "You lady, are a piece of work"

Felicity grinned back at him "Don't you know? I'm the wicked bitch of the west"

-------------------

"I thought you could *drive*" Sean said as he eyes the road before them warily.

"I *am* *driving*" Buffy turned to glare at him.

"Eyes on the road!" Sean winced as they swerved out of their lane then back again. "Well, could you drive a little *less* like Michael Schumacher and *more* like someone who won't get pulled over by the cops"

"I'm *twelve* Sean" Buffy pointed out, gunning the car a little more "They're probably gonna pull me over no matter *how* I'm driving" 

"Uhh... OK. Actually I didn't think of that" Sean took in Buffy's pigtails and Muppet T-shirt "Maybe you shouldn't get pulled over. Continue with the Schumacher impression"

"Well, if I knew who he was I would, but I'll just keep going fast 'kay?" A determined look settled on Buffy's face "And as for impressions" she glanced quickly at Sean then back to the road "You should see my one of Gandhi"

"I won't ask"

"It's really good *and* it doesn't involve a giant diaper" Buffy hung a sharp right at Sean indication "I plan on showing it to those bastards who got Xander" pain flickered over Buffy's face "He's still... I mean-"

"Yeah, he's doing OK" Sean finished for her "Barely though" he added softly "We can't waste too much time"

"I don't plan to" Buffy replied "They'll *all* pay" Buffy gripped the wheel tighter "How far behind are we?"

"A couple more minutes we'll have them in sight" Sean glanced sideways at Buffy "So do we have a plan then?"

"Nope"

"Do you think we *should* have one?"

"I'm more an 'up and at 'em' kind of girl"

"...Alrighty then"

"But the police might be interested"

"You think we should have called them before we left?"

"I hate hindsight"

-------------------

Xander's eyes wouldn't open. They were too heavy and they hurt. Everything about him hurt. In his head he could hear the sickeningly slow beat of his heart and it took all his concentration to remember to breathe - and that was something he was barely doing at all.

Above the slow beat of his heart he could hear muffled sounds - voices and a low hum of some kind //most likely an engine// Xander thought, judging from the vibrations he could feel through his body. He could also pick up the faint smell of burning, or something burnt. Acrid and not like a wood burn... something different.

He wondered where Buffy was. Was she near him? Did she know he was hurt? Was she hurt too? Xander tried again to open his eyes, but he couldn't. Resignation filled him. Maybe if he just stayed still for a little longer it might get better.

//Or maybe not// Wracking pain filled him suddenly as he felt himself being pulled along. Where hands had hold of him, he realised that the burning smell was him. Cries caught in his throat as he felt his flesh becoming even more torn as he was dragged along on his back and it didn't seem to stop. Xander willed himself to block it out... just concentrate on breathing... try and stay in the happy place... happy place... Anya... Anya doing stuff to him that you really shouldn't do in public... OK, better... just a little better...

... just remember to breathe.

-------------------

Sean looked down at the small screen of his little black box. He tapped a few keys then looked up and out of the front window ant the empty road ahead "Uhh Buffy, I think you'd better start slowing down" Sean looked across at her "Unless you want them to see us when we go over the top of that next hill"

"What?"

"They've stopped"

Buffy eased her foot back off the accelerator and took in the now slowly passing scenery. As she was driving on the right, she guessed that she was still in her home country - but as to where, she didn't know. Everything was so non-descript. When they'd driven out of the grounds of Felicity's house, they'd started to pass fewer and fewer cars and fewer and fewer buildings. The ground around them now was flat, dotted only with a few trees and the occasional billboard.

"Can you check ahead?" Buffy asked him "I want to know what I'm going into"

"I was going to anyway" Sean indicated a spot up ahead to the side of the road "Pull in there. I'll come back to you as soon as I've done the recon"

As Sean disappeared, Buffy let the tears fall that she'd been holding back while he'd been with her. She took one hand off the steering wheel briefly to try and wipe them away, but soon gave up. As Buffy pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car, her cries started to become more vocal and she slumped forward, her head resting on the wheel and her shoulders shaking as images of Xander's fallen and burnt body refused to leave her mind.

//Why is this always happening?//

After a few minutes, Buffy pushed herself backwards and sank back into the seat. She took a few deep breaths and ran both her hands over her head, trying to calm herself down.

//It's not going to help anyone if I start being emotional breakdown girl//

Buffy undid her seat belt and reached over to the glove compartment, hoping to find a tissue or something she could refresh herself with. Instead when she flipped the catch the door fell open and something fell out. Buffy fished about on the floor and came back up with her bounty. A phone.

"Jeez, I forgot these things used to be the size of buses and God damn!" she swore when suddenly Sean appeared, making her jump and causing her to almost drop the phone "What's going on?" she asked "And Xander?"

"Xander's still with us" Sean replied, causing Buffy to sigh with relief. Sean frowned a little "But there's something else"

"What?"

"Felicity's in on it"

Buffy's jaw set firmly "I'll kill her" Buffy slammed her fist on the steering wheel, causing the horn to sound off "I'll strangle her with those damn pearls that drip from her neck. I'll - I'll rip her pretty manicured nails from her fingers and stick them in her eyes. I'll-"

"OK, OK I'm getting the picture. Listen Buffy, we need back up. We need-" Sean broke off when Buffy showed him the phone "We need that"

-------------------

__

(A short while later)

"Buffy?" Sean appeared next to the blonde as she stood on tiptoe to peer through a window "Exactly how many of the rescue services did you call out?"

"However many believed me when I told them what was going on" Buffy replied, turning to Sean "What do you think?"

"So long as they check out that car wreck I'm pretty sure we'll get someone out here"

"Good" Buffy turned back, looking through the window again.

"So, if all those people are hopefully coming to save the day, um, why are we creeping about the house that Felicity and those others are holed up in?"

"You know nothing about me at all do you?"

"I'm beginning to think that, yeah" Sean literally stuck his head through the wall to see inside the house that Felicity and the others had taken up residence in, including Xander. Sean looked worriedly at Xander's still prone form before glaring ineffectually at Felicity and the three men who were just sitting around drinking beer, chatting and watching TV. Thankfully they hadn't heard Buffy outside. Sean pulled back his head and glanced at Buffy, who was balanced precariously on a wooden palette and only just able to peer over the ledge of the window "You do understand what we have to do here, don't you?" Sean asked.

"I'm not stupid Sean" Buffy replied quietly, looking to him again "I understand that it's not really Xander that's hurt in there. That it's Andrew" she sighed regretfully "Poor guy. *And* I realise that Xander just has to stay alive to leap and he'll be all normal and *not* burnt when we get out of here" Buffy paused for breath "Won't he?"

"OK... well you saved me having to explain stuff. And yes. Xander'll be fine" Sean paused "Maybe a bit shell shocked but physically... he'll be as studly as ever"

"You do know he has a *girl*friend, don't you?"

"Yes, I am aware of that thank you Buffy. But if I can just change the subject back for one moment" Sean nodded his head towards the house "What the hell are we doing *here*?" he gestured around them "And not waiting for the cavalry?"

"I want to hit them all with large and heavy objects first" Buffy replied in a deathly quiet voice "He might be fine in the long run, but right now Xander's in pain and he's barely alive. All he does is try to help and he doesn't deserve this"

"I know he's helping" Sean replied "According to my little gizmo here, and it's slowly leaking information, Andrew was originally killed by the blast"

"Yeah and that bitch in there got away with it *and* his money" Buffy stood down from the wooden palette she was on and looked to her right, which meant she could see down the path which ran alongside the house and on into the back garden. Without listening to Sean's warning Buffy began to move quickly and quietly along the path towards the back of the house.

Sean sighed before following after her "It's days like this that make me wish I just worked in MacDonalds"

He caught up with her when Buffy was inching her way around the corner of the back and right side walls. "Would you like me to check for you?" Sean asked her "I mean, that's if you don't think I'd be treading on your toes or anything"

Buffy rolled her eyes and moved her head backwards, indicating the inside of the house. "What's going on?" she mouthed.

Sean walked through the back wall of the house and took a look around. Everything appeared as it had before. Except one of the three men was not with the others and Felicity. Sean moved into the kitchen and saw Simon sitting at the kitchen table, fiddling with something that Sean couldn't identify.

Sean went back outside "One of them is in the kitchen" Sean pointed a window on the far end of the back wall "It's that one there. The door leads out onto the path the other side of the house. The others are still inside"

Buffy got down on her hands and knees and began crawling along the ground until she was underneath the kitchen window. Buffy stood up slowly so her nose just peeked over the ledge and looked through the glass into the kitchen. She scowled angrily at Simon, who was oblivious to her presence, before ducking down again. Buffy started crawling again as close to the wall as she could. She rounded the corner of the back wall and crept down towards the door that led on to a path that ran down the left side of the house. There was a small metal trash can to the opposite side of the door to Buffy; she picked up small rock and threw it at the side of he can, making a sound loud enough so Simon could hear it.

Sean watched from inside the house as Simon got up from his seat, only glancing at the other three in the other room who hadn't heard, before looking to the door again and taking a few steps towards it.

"Buffy" Sean called out anxiously "What are you doing?"

"Meow" Buffy answered in all seriousness and crawling back a little way from the door, her hand resting over a much larger rock than she had just thrown.

"Great" Sean groaned "Welcome to animal imitations 1-0-1. Get ready" he warned her "Anytime now-"

Sean's timing was spot on. Simon opened the door opened the door, a little puzzled as he didn't remember having a cat, and automatically turned to the direction of the trashcan.

Buffy stood up and hit Simon on the back of the neck with the rock. His hand flew up and he stumbled forward. Buffy immediately darted infront of him to stop him kicking into the trashcan and making any noise. She caught hold of him and brought her knee hard up into his groin.

Simon grimaced in pain and looked at Buffy with a mixture of shock, pain and surprise- all before Buffy hit him again with the rock and before he could make a sound. Simon slumped over and Buffy pushed him to the side so he fell into some bushes. She kicked him with her foot and rolled his unconscious body further into the bushes so he couldn't be seen easily.

Satisfied with her job Buffy looked back to Sean who was just staring back at her, not sure what he just saw or what to say.

Buffy shrugged as if to say "What?" and kept hold of the large rock as she pushed open further the kitchen door and stepped inside the house.

"Dammit Buffy" Sean followed her inside. You're going to get yourself killed" he warned her, "You can't go in there all guns blazing"

Buffy's eyes flashed angrily at Sean before placing the rock silently on the counter top and picking up a wrench instead, weighing it in her hand and taking a few practice swings.

"Dammit Buffy!" Sean cried standing infront of her as she swung the wrench right through him "Just think of *Xander* here. He's barely keeping himself alive as it is, don't make them do anything that'll change that!"

Buffy stopped mid-swing and frowned. Her arm dropped to her side as she glanced to the door, which Sean had told her previously led to the room that the others were in with Xander. Buffy bit her lip and began tapping the wrench against her leg. She put her other hand to her head then ran it through her hair "You're right" she whispered softly "I can't-" Buffy stopped and leant back against the countertop before sliding down to the floor, her knees tucked up against her chest. She looked up sadly at Sean about to speak again when the door opened and Karl headed through to the kitchen.

Sean looked at Buffy in alarm and the blonde leapt to her feet, wrench now brandished in both hands. Karl stared at her in surprise as Simon had done before shaking it off and making a grab for her.

Buffy used her slight frame to dodge easily out of her his, thumping the wrench hard enough into Karl's stomach to elicit a guttural groan from the bigger man. Unfortunately it alerted the others and both T and Felicity came rushing through to see what the commotion was. Again, Buffy got stares of surprise as she stood infront of all three, wrench still in hand.

Buffy took a deep breath and looked at them all with an even stare "Hey mom"

"S-Susan dear" Felicity faltered "What are you...how did you...?"

"I'm full of surprises" Buffy said flatly "For instance did you know I could drive?"

"What the hell is going on here" Karl groaned, an arm wrapped around his stomach "Is this part of the plan?"

T turned to Felicity "So what now?"

"Gee *Mom*" Buffy didn't let Felicity answer "Don't you look comfortable here with all the criminals"

Felicity narrowed her eyes at Buffy before turning to T "I'll make sure she doesn't interfere" Felicity turned back around and grabbed Buffy by the arm as Karl removed the wrench from Buffy's hands "Come on dear" she pulled Buffy into the other room and pushed her down onto the floor next to Xander "Sit with your father and keep your big mouth shut"

Buffy glared at her defiantly and got back up onto her feet "Make me bitch"

Felicity stepped forward and slapped Buffy hard across her face "Just like your father" she sneered "You never know when to shut up"

Buffy pressed her hand to her cheek, feeling it grow warm where Felicity had made contact "Guess you showed him, huh?". This earned Buffy another slap across the other cheek. Buffy didn't care. So long as she kept stalling them, the more time it gave her and Xander before the police and whoever else arrived.

Felicity shoved Buffy back down again so she fell onto Xander "*Stay*". Felicity turned her back on Buffy and spoke to T and Karl "Where's Simon?"

Karl looked over Felicity's shoulder at Buffy who looked innocently back at him. Karl looked back the older woman "I'll go check outside"

Felicity spoke to T when Karl left "This isn't going to be a problem"

T glared at Buffy before looking back at Felicity "She'd better not be. I've had to make enough changes today"

Buffy slipped her hand into Xander's and looked to Sean who'd been hovering in the background the entire time, constantly tapping away at and checking his little black box.

Sean headed over to her and crouched by her side "According to our new information, originally Felicity got away with this and Andrew died. You, or I guess Susan, gets shipped off to relatives. No one ever suspected a thing. *Now*, because Susan was *you* and the police know about it, the odds are that Felicity will get arrested, these other guys, Simon, Tyler and Karl drop her in it to save themselves"

Buffy took all this in "What does than mean?" she asked quietly, ignoring the look she got from the other two, who then turned back to their own conversation.

"It means you stay still. You keep your mouth shut and it'll turn out fine" Sean said bluntly "Got that?"

Buffy frowned but nodded reluctantly. She hung her head and sighed. She squeezed Xander's hand gently , her eyes widening a little when he squeezed it ever so slightly back.

Buffy turned to her friend "Xan?" she spoke the words without thinking "Xan?"

Xander's head moved slightly and his voice came out a cracked whisper "Ahn?"

"No Xan. It's Buffy. Xander... hey!" Buffy felt herself being pulled up roughly by her arm. She looked up to see Tyler staring down at her.

"Do you not listen to anyone?" Tyler spat out.

"Apparently not" Sean added.

Buffy's jaw set firmly "OK. That is it!" she cried, wrestling herself free from Tyler's grasp "I've had enough of people telling me what the hell to do!" Buffy was grabbed again by Felicity this time; but Buffy grabbed hold of the other woman's wrist and dug her nails in hard. Felicity gasped and Buffy kicked her in the shin and pushing her pseudo mother back so she stumbled over an armchair.

Tyler made a move for her but Buffy jumped high and landed her foot hard in his stomach. She quickly spun around again and kicked him again with the other foot, finally sending him down to the floor. Apparently residual Slayer senses meant she hit out at Felicity as the other woman got up and came after her.

Not worried at being double teamed, Buffy kicked Tyler hard between the legs when he finally managed to get back to his feet and when Felicity came at her again she sucker punched the older woman then head butted her, obviously hard enough to render Felicity unconscious.

"*Ow*!" Buffy cried gripping her head "No one ever tells you how much that hurts when you're not a Slayer" Buffy staggered backwards a little before composing herself enough to jump over Tyler's prone form, as he seemed more concerned with cradling his balls than running after her. Buffy ran to the door to the kitchen, pushing it open. Luckily Karl was running in from the other way and the door hit him on the forehead and sent him flying backwards, making him hit his head on the refrigerator and dazing him.

Buffy darted into the kitchen and picked up the wrench that Karl had dropped. She wasn't quite sure what to do next. No one seemed to be after her at the very moment. She looked to Sean when he appeared in the kitchen infront of her "Do you think I should tie them up?"

"I'm thinking I never want to be your enemy" Sean replied "But, uh, rope. Yeah. You do that" Sean looked around "Over there" he pointed to a closed cupboard "There might be some"

Buffy kept hold of the wrench and went over to the cupboard and opened it, checking inside. All she found was some garden twine, but realising she didn't have time to be fussy, she took the twine and immediately went to Karl, grabbing his feet before he had time to protest and started wrapping the twine around his ankles. With another blow with the wrench she soon managed to get hold of his wrists and make sure he wouldn't be going anywhere soon.

Buffy smirked at him when he glared at her as he struggled in his bonds "You really messed with the wrong twelve year old" she said.

"Buffy!" Sean yelled out a warning "Tyler is coming up behind you!"

Buffy ducked as Tyler made a grab for her. She stayed crouched on the floor and kicked out at his shins, making him stagger. Buffy sideswiped him as he came near her again and sent him to the floor yet again. Quickly she reached for the twine and made short work of Tyler, using the wrench again for good measure. Buffy kicked him hard in the ass before running back into the other room.

Felicity was still unconscious so it was easy for Buffy to tie her up as well. Buffy stood back, admiring her handiwork. Buffy turned to Sean and grinned "Pfft. Who the hell needs preternatural strength when you got a really big wrench and ball of string?"

Sean looked around "You're something else, I'll give you that" he smiled sheepishly at Buffy "I'm real sorry I doubted you"

"Once a Slayer always a Slayer" Buffy shrugged. She knelt back down beside Xander and took his hand again "What happens to Andrew? Do the cops get here?"

Sean consulted his mini computer "Cops should be here any minute" he told her without looking up "Andrew... well, he's hurt pretty bad. Better than being dead... but not by much. Major burns equal major scars. Think Kevin Spacey in Pay it Forward but a little bit worse"

"But he'll live?"

"The cops bring an ambulance, as requested" Sean confirmed "The guy will be fine. When he recovers he gets custody of Susan and they all live happily ever after"

"One big fairy tale" Buffy said as she removed some hair from Xander's forehead "Xander?" she squeezed his hand again "Xan, it's Buffy"

Xander stirred again "Buff?" his tried to open his eyes and they opened just a crack. He tried to focus in on the figure infront of him but all he could make out was a blur of pink and a halo of blonde hair.

Buffy smiled "Yeah Xan" she touched the side of his face that was less burnt "Just hang on for us OK?"

Xander's eyes closed again, but Buffy could see his chest was still rising and falling. "I'm not dead?"

"No. You're doing just fine" Buffy felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye "I'm here"

"I feel dead" Xander coughed a little and then winced "Everything hurts"

"You got blown up" Buffy replied in a quiet voice "You got very lucky. We just-" Buffy broke off when she heard a knock at the door. Buffy looked to Sean who went to the door and stuck his head outside.

Sean drew his head back and smiled at the two of them. He looked down at his computer and then back to them again, as Buffy had picked up Xander and was cradling him against her. "Looks like you two are out of here"

Buffy looked towards the door again when it opened and a tall man in his forties walked in. He had a police badge on his belt and a gun in one hand.

"Hey" Buffy said softly.

The officer looked at her in surprise "Hey kid"

"Can we get a paramedic in here for my dad?"

"Sure" he replied, making a request into his radio "Uh..." the officer looked at Felicity tied up and slumped back against the chair, he looked around the room warily, his gun still held ready.

Buffy followed his gaze "Oh... yeah. There's two more in the kitchen and another outside who I hit with a rock"

"A rock?"

"Kind of a big rock"

"She's right" another cop said as he just came in through the kitchen "They're all tied up and ready to go"

The first officer moved aside to let the paramedics in. He stared at the girl with the long dark pigtails and the big brown eyes that stared innocently back at him. He watched as she let go of the injured man she was holding and lets the paramedic take him. He saw her turn away and focus on something that wasn't there and smile.

Xander felt himself being jostled, but it was more gentle than before and here could here Buffy's voice and he knew that it was all right. He managed to get his eyes open a little more. "Buff?" he said "Are we going yet?"

His answer was a bright white light and then blackness.

-------------------

When there was light again, Xander found himself looking up at a ceiling. He was in no more pain. He looked down at himself and saw that there were no burns, not even a little bit of soot. Xander was also tucked up in bed, the covers only pulled up to his waist.

"Morning honey"

Xander looked across the room and at the speaker; a pretty, petite red head who was currently attacking her hair with curling tongs. She sat infront of a small dressing table and was dressed only in a white cotton bathrobe and pink bunny slippers on her feet.

Xander blinked "Uh... hey"

His new companion put down her curling iron and moved over towards him, sitting beside him. Xander tensed a little when she began running her hand down his chest and didn't back up enough in time to stop her kissing him full on the mouth.

She smiled seductively at him when she pulled back "Hey baby?" she slipped the robe from her shoulders "Wanna go for another ride?"

-------------------

Buffy swung her legs over the side of the bed she found herself in after she leapt. She was alone in the room. Buffy looked down at herself and discovered she was naked. She grabbed a sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself before standing up.

Buffy walked over to the only door in the room and opened it cautiously. No one bounded through so she poked her head through the gap and found herself looking upon an empty corridor.

//A dorm room?// Buffy closed the door and sat back down on the bed. She looked around on the floor for some actual clothes. Buffy was about to pick something up when the door suddenly burst open and a guy clad only in boxer shorts came bounding in and flopped onto the bed next to her.

"Max didn't have any" he stated, turning over onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow "And why are you getting dressed?"

Buffy groaned inwardly //Oh boy//.

=============

to be continued...

Read the next episode **_"Love Square"_** ...


	3. Love Square

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Three: "Love Square?"

Summary: What starts out as a simple task, soon leads to disharmony between Buffy and Xander  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG14  
**Spoilers:** If you're up-to-date you'll be fine. 'The Pack', 'Prophecy Girl', 'BBB', 'Becoming p2', 'The Zeppo', 'GD p2', 'Who Are You?', 'The Replacement' and S5 Dawn stuff.  
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

When there was light again, Xander found himself looking up at a ceiling. He was in no more pain. He looked down at himself and saw that there were no burns, not even a little bit of soot. Xander was also tucked up in bed; the covers only pulled up to his waist.

"Morning honey"

Xander looked across the room and at the speaker; a pretty, petite red head who was currently attacking her hair with curling tongs. She sat infront of a small dressing table and was dressed only in a white cotton bathrobe and pink bunny slippers on her feet.

Xander blinked "Uh... hey"

His new companion put down her curling iron and moved over towards him, sitting beside him. Xander tensed a little when she began running her hand down his chest and didn't back up enough in time to stop her kissing him full on the mouth.

She smiled seductively at him when she pulled back "Hey baby?" she slipped the robe from her shoulders "Wanna go for another ride?"

-------------------

Buffy swung her legs over the side of the bed she found herself in after she leapt. She was alone in the room. Buffy looked down at herself and discovered she was naked. She grabbed a sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself before standing up.

Buffy walked over to the only door in the room and opened it cautiously. No one bounded through so she poked her head through the gap and found herself looking upon an empty corridor.

//A dorm room?// Buffy closed the door and sat back down on the bed. She looked around on the floor for some actual clothes. Buffy was about to pick something up when the door suddenly burst open and a guy clad only in boxer shorts came bounding in and flopped onto the bed next to her.

"Max didn't have any" he stated, turning over onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow "And why are you getting dressed?"

Buffy groaned inwardly //Oh boy//.

-------------------

Xander caught his new friend's robe before it completely fell. Unfortunately, Xander admitted to himself, there was a split second of ogling on his part before he covered her up and drew his focus back up to her face.

Xander cleared his throat "Um... y'know what?" Xander shifted himself so he was sitting upright "I'm thinking that maybe-"

"Sugar" the redhead silenced him by putting a finger to hips lips "It's too early to start thinking" she leaned further towards Xander "C'mon Alex" she pouted and kicked the bunny slippers off her feet "All your gorgeous-i-ness is going to waste"

Xander gently removed her finger "If you'd let me finish, I was saying that I think your curling iron is melting the top of the dressing table"

"Oh crap!" the red head leapt off the bed and tried her best to rescue the situation of melted plastic strings unwilling to detach from her curling iron. In the end she gave up and just ripped the plug from the wall and just left the melted mess to be. When she turned back around, she was a little dismayed to find that Xander had actually found a pair of jeans (that fortunately fitted him) underneath all the mess on the floor and had put them on.

She sighed "I guess we really don't have time" she went over to Xander and kissed him softly on the forehead "Not if we want to meet up with Liz and Will on time anyway and you know how Liz gets about tardiness. Look, why don't you go back to your room, shower then get dressed and then meet me back here in a half hour, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, sure" 

Sean pointed the red head "Jenny Orson, twenty, your girlfriend of two months"

Jenny smiled at him and handed Xander a T-shirt "Go on. Move that cute ass of yours"

"Thanks" Xander smiled back. He hesitated before leaning forward and kissing Jenny a little awkwardly on the cheek "See you soon". Xander pulled the T-shirt over his head and grabbed his trainers before exiting the room and followed after Sean.

Sean flashed him a big smile when they were outside the room "Great to see you're not Cajun style anymore"

"Thanks" Xander mumbled, quite aware that he appeared to be in some kind of dorm corridor and not alone as there were people milling about, chatting "All though I still feel like hell"

"Well, you got blown up" Sean replied "Bound to shake you up a bit. Anyhoo, your name is Alexander Gregson, twenty years old. You're studying English Literature here at Lampton University. Quite good at it apparently"

"Great. Body leaping" Xander murmured "I knew that was the only way I'd get into college"

"You don't have to go to college to prove you're smart Xander" Sean replied "Stop knocking yourself"

Xander glanced at Sean and saw the sincere look in the other man's eyes. "Thanks" Xander mumbled "But you're still not my type" he added with a small smile.

Sean laughed softly "Xan, I get it, you're straight. OK, c'mon we're nearly here. Turn left at the end of the corridor, fourth door on the right. I'm going to have to leave you now. Best check in with Buffy" Sean stopped and let Xander carry on "Have fun, ciao"

Xander got to his room following Sean's directions. He found a key in the back of the jeans he was wearing and went in. Xander let the door close behind him as he sat down on the bed. He scrubbed his face with his hands and yawned //OK. On the whole this seems a lot better than being blown up so far//. Xander scratched his head and stood up. He stretched his arms and looked around for a mirror.

There was one to his left, hanging on a wall amidst pictures of Jenny and obviously some friends of theirs. Xander went and stood infront of it and raised an eyebrow at what he saw.

"Uh huh" Xander said to his reflection "And yet another new look. His reflection was of a good looking, white guy with short, black curly hair and dark brown eyes; about average height and build.

"Same name, but this so very definitely new" Xander looked at his new self for a few moments more before sitting back down on his bed. Xander looked around at the room. It was a pretty average single dorm - the posters of early Bon Jovi and one large poster of Madonna, still with her beauty mark, denoted the time period. The floor was reasonable tidy, clothes that weren't in the closet were mostly thrown over the chair that was infront of a small desk with books atop it. Alex did have a double bed but it didn't leave much room for anything else. Xander glanced at the bedside table, on which stood a lamp, alarm clock and a photo of Jenny and Alex sitting together under a tree.

Xander picked up the photograph and saw that this couple seemed to be quite happy together. Xander sighed and put the picture back. //I wish Anya were here. God, I miss her//. Xander sighed again and got back on his feet. 

"OK. Skip the shower as I have no idea where that is, so I guess it just leaves me to get changed and get back to Jenny - if I can remember the way, then off to meet some girl called Liz and some guy called Will" Xander looked around for a towel "Maybe *then* I might find out where Buffy is"

-------------------

Buffy gripped the sheet closer to her chest. She adjusted her vision to the dim light in the room and looked at the guy who lay beside her //And *hoo* boy... woah... and muscles... and come to *momma* and please tell me I'm not drooling//

"Man, Liz" the guy on the bed chuckled "I love it when you get that twinkle in your eye" he sat up and brushed some of Buffy's hair back behind her ear "Makes you look even more beautiful". Suddenly he smacked his palm against his forehead "*Damn*. We're supposed to meet with Alex and Jenny"

Buffy focused back in on the conversation "We... we are?"

"Yeah. You don't-" Will got off the bed and started hunting around for some clothes "-um... oh good, still wearable jeans... remember?" he turned to her with one foot in a pair of jeans "And Liz? Looking at my ass isn't going to get *you* dressed any quicker"

Buffy flushed pink //So long as I wasn't drooling... no harm done// "When are we meeting them again?"

Will glanced at his watch "About half an hour" he replied just as he got tangled up in his jeans and fell to the floor "... I'm OK"

Buffy laughed and, with sheets still gathered around herself, she stood up "C'mon" she flashed him a brilliant smile //...after all I'm only doing my job...// "I'll help you put your pants on //Damn it// and you can help me find my stuff underneath everything else" Buffy gestured to the floor.

Will grinned back "Actually the toga look suits you"

"Hey Buffy and *wow*" Sean's draw dropped a little when he saw Will lying on the floor finally winning the battle with his jeans "Come to *daddy*"

"Hey Liz?" Will called up from the floor "I think I can see your bra under the bed"

"Great" Buffy ducked her head down to look "Whereabouts?"

"And you're gonna get changed infront of a total stranger are you?" Sean's jaw had obviously started working again.

//...Ah/// Buffy straightened up, bra in hand and looked at Will "Y'know, maybe I should grab a quick shower. I can change when I'm done then"

Will shrugged "Sure"

As soon as Buffy had grabbed the rest of her things and a bathrobe, she left the room and followed after Sean as he led the way to the communal bathroom. Luckily it was empty and Buffy dumped her things down in the sink.

"Can we make this quick?" Buffy asked Sean, disappearing into a shower stall with her clothes "Who am I? What am I doing here? And where the hell is Xander?"

"This would have anything to do with you wanting to get back to that goddamn gorgeous Greek God of a guy back there would it?"

Buffy peered over the door of the stall and raised an eyebrow "Nice alliteration and I saw *you* drooling too" Buffy ducked her head back down "Does he have a name?"

"William Burges" Sean answered "And you're Elizabeth Collins. You're both twenty-one and studying in your final year here at Lampton"

"Uh huh" Buffy slipped a dress over her head and tugged it down "And Xander?"

"You'll be getting together soon. He's he Alex part of the couple you're supposed to be meeting in half an hour"

Buffy stepped out of the stall "He's OK?"

Sean nodded and Buffy smiled in relief. Buffy stepped infront of one of the mirrors above the wash basins "Hey, I'm back to blonde again" Buffy turned from side to side in the mirror, striking poses. Buffy was looking back at a tall girl with blonde hair and green eyes and a golden tan. She stepped up closer to the mirror to study her new face better "And I'm still pretty"

Sean rolled his eyes "You and Will make a beautiful couple"

"I have to be really convincing so he doesn't suspect, don't I?" Buffy turned to Sean with a slightly hopeful look in his eye.

"God, you're in total lust aren't you?"

"Can I have his children?"

-------------------

Xander had given up trying to keep Jenny's hand from resting on his ass. She was very determined and currently her hand was tucked into one of his back pockets. //I just really, really hope Anya doesn't have window into this world. I don't want anything going green and falling off//.

He and Jenny were now walking outside on campus. Xander was justifying Jenny's hands on him because he had absolutely no idea were they were supposed to be meeting this Liz and Will and he was letting Jenny guide him gently towards their destination.

//Oh I really hope nothing goes green and falls off//

A few moments later, just as they were rounding a clump of trees and onto a grassy area that seemed to be covered in students lying in the sun, he spotted Buffy sitting on the grass too and chatting animatedly to a good looking, dark haired guy. Xander noted with an arched eyebrow that Buffy was practically sitting in the guy's lap.

Xander thought that he and Jenny were going to just walk past them, but Buffy and her friend looked up and the guy waved them over.

"Hey Jen, Alex" Will called out "Looks like we just beat you here"

"Hey you two" Jenny greeted as she sat down with Will and Buffy "How's it going?"

"Great" Will replied "You two?" 

"Also good" Xander answered with a slight smile. He then caught Buffy's eye "Hey Liz? Did you get a hold of that guy Sean?"

"Oh, uh yeah" Buffy said "He's going to check on some things before he gets back to me"

"Who's Sean?" Will asked, putting his hand over Buffy's "Get back to you on what?"

Buffy smiled brightly back at Will "Just some books I might need for study" she lied "Alex said he knew a guy who had some that might be helpful"

Jenny leant up against Xander, resting her head against his shoulder "That's my sugar" she tilted her head up and smiled at Xander "Always being helpful"

Xander dutifully smiled back at her and Jenny seemed happy with that and put her head back down, just nestling against him. 

All four continued chatting about nothing in particular which helped Buffy and Xander as Sean had not reappeared, even steering the conversation to the weather at the moment. But after half an hour, Buffy and Xander realised they were beginning to struggle and were glad when Jenny suddenly looked at her watch 

"Oh, I was hoping this time wouldn't come" she sighed "I've got to see Professor Housten"

"About the Marlow essay?" Will asked Jenny, who nodded "Yeah, I've got to see him too" he continued "You wanna go face our doom together?"

Jenny turned to Xander "You don't mind?"

Xander shook his head "No problem. I'm sure I can find something interesting to talk to Liz about"

"It's that OK?" Will then asked Buffy.

"Uh... yeah. Sure" Buffy reluctantly replied //I wanna go with the cute guy// she whined in her head //He has muscles I wanna feel... again// "We'll keep each other entertained"

"OK" Will kissed Buffy on the cheek before getting to his feet.

Jenny then kissed Xander on top of his head "See ya later sugar" She gave both Xander and Buffy a bright smile before walking off with Will.

Buffy waited until Will and Jenny were out of sight and earshot before she leant forward and hugged Xander "Oh I'm so glad you're OK" she said "You've got no idea how horrible you looked" 

Xander hugged her back "Well I don't know about *looked* but I felt pretty deep fried" he gave Buffy a smile when she drew back "Did it all work out?" he asked "I could hear words... was Felicity in on it?"

Buffy nodded "I kicked her butt real good for ya" she told him "And it all worked out for the good" Buffy brushed some hair off her face "So *sugar*" she changed the subject to their new problem "Sean didn't happen to tell you anything about our gig here did he?"

Xander shook his head "Haven't seen him since he told me my name... y'know, I haven't been called Alex in a *long* while... hey, speak of the devil" Xander nodded to Sean who had appeared beside Buffy.

Buffy looked up at him "Where did you go in such a hurry before?"

Sean laughed "Oh you're gonna love this" he said "You two get to play matchmaker"

"OK. Doesn't sound so hard" Buffy replied "We can do that. Who do we have to get together?"

"Jenny and Will" Sean replied.

"Jenny and Will?" Buffy gave Sean a look of surprise "Why? They seem happy as they are"

"Oh they are" Sean assured her "It's just they're not with who they need to be. And it's you two that are standing in the way" Sean looked between both of them "Look I don't think we should talk here. We should head back to Alex's dorm room, as it's nearer, and I can fill you in a bit more"

"Oh yay, there's more" Buffy got to her feet.

"Actually in theory" Sean said "It's a pretty easy task"

Xander got to his feet too "And didn't you say if it seems too easy it usually is?"

"That's why I put in the 'in theory' bit" Sean replied "Just wait until you get the details"

-------------------

__

(An hour later)

"Can we run through that one more time?" Buffy asked.

Sean sighed "OK, OK. Fact *one*, as well as dating Jenny, Alex is also sleeping with Liz, and obviously the same applies to Liz cheating on Will. Fact *two*, Jenny and Will are also having an affair with each other. Fact *three* The only affair people know about are the ones that they're having" Sean looked between Buffy and Xander who were sitting on Alex's bed infront of him "Are we following so far?"

Xander nodded "One big love square. Gotcha"

"Yeah, I got that bit" Buffy said before Sean spoke again "But it's the rest that's just screwy"

Sean gave her a look of agreement "Anyway, the thing is, is that Will and Jenny are the ones that are truly in love with each other. Now, because Will and Jenny also care a lot about Liz and Alex, they won't break up with them because they think they're sparing their feelings and heartbreak"

"Whereas" Xander supplied "Liz and Alex really couldn't care less"

"Exactly" Sean said "Now, come graduation Liz and Will; Jenny and Alex; *and* Will and *Jenny* finally go their separate ways. Will and Jenny split because they graduate and end up on other sides of the country" Sean paused for breath "I'll have to stop for a moment because I've confused myself"

"No, I remember the rest" Xander said "Will and Jenny meet up a few years later and get involved again. They want to have children, but can't because of a car accident that Jenny had a year after graduation"

"And we need to make sure Will and Jenny get together *before* graduation" Buffy continued "So they feel they *don't* have to split up, there's no accident and then they can have all the babies they want and live happily ever after"

Sean nodded "Yup"

"Uh huh" Buffy was then silent for a moment before asking "Sean?"

"Yes Buffy?"

"So... what you really want me and Xander to do, is break up with Will and Jenny?"

"Yes"

Xander followed on Buffy's line of thinking "So in fact" he said "You could have just *said* that, instead of confusing us and *you* with all that stuff about what happened in the future"

"Yes"

"So why *didn't* you just say that?" Buffy asked.

"'Cos I thought it was interesting?"

"Uh Sean?" Buffy said "*Interesting* is having to stop the world being sucked into hell because your ex-boyfriend thought it would be fun" she paused "And then having to kill him"

"And" Xander added "Having to stop a giant sixty foot demon snake from eating you at your high school graduation"

Sean looked between them both "Sucked into hell, huh?"

"Do you know my girlfriend is eleven hundred and twenty?" Xander kept on.

It was quickly followed by Buffy's - "One of my ex-boyfriends was a vampire"

"I've been possessed by a hyena"

"I've been turned into a rat"

"I've been split in two"

"I've *died*"

"I've stopped a bomb from going off"

"My sister is actually an ancient, big shiny ball of energy and did you say *bomb*?" 

-------------------

A little while later after Sean had given them room details and a little bit more information about their new selves, Buffy and Xander were left alone. Xander was still lying on his back on the bed and Buffy was sitting on the chair by the desk.

"You do know you can't keep putting me off forever, don't you Xander?"

"I'm gonna try"

"You can't just say *bomb* and expect me to forget about it"

"I can't?"

"Just wait until we get back" Buffy said "I'll get Willow to give you her puppy-dog eyes you until you spill"

Xander sat up "You're gonna bring out the big guns?"

"The biggest"

Xander thought this over "Then I guess you'll just have to wait until Willow gets me then, aren't you?"

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him "C'mon, we're supposed to be breaking up with people. We really should get started. Sean said we should be firm and make it a clean break"

"Take no prisoners?"

"So we should get going on this then?"

Both of them made no move to get up.

"Do you think maybe we should practice first?" Buffy asked "I mean, I've never really broken up with someone. Not on a mature level anyway"

"Same here. I've only ever *been* dumped"

Buffy sighed "It's not fair. Why do I have to break up with the cute guy? He's really muscly and lovely and did I mention muscly?"

"More than twice" Xander brought his feet up onto the bed and sat cross legged "OK. So we practise dumping each other first. OK" Xander's voice became sincere "Buffy, I don't know how to say this-"

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"I wasn't finished"

"I don't care" Buffy huffed "How come you get to break up with *me* *first*?"

"You were too slow"

Buffy scowled at him "So about that bomb..."

-------------------

__

(An hour later)

Buffy hummed to herself as she wandered through the corridors. She just about remembered the way back to Will's dorm room. Finally she and Xander had broken up with each other enough to feel confident about going straight in and breaking up with the people they were supposed to. Xander, however, was still in his room as he hadn't been able to get in touch with Jenny.

But as she had made contact with Will, Buffy kept going and trying not to think //What does it matter if we stay here for a little while? A few more days isn't going to hurt. I mean, Will is an absolute honey and I wouldn't mind hanging around for a little more ogling//. 

Buffy soon found herself outside Will's dorm room. She tried the door handle gently first, but the door didn't open. Buffy rapped her knuckles against the door.

The door opened and when Will saw it was Buffy he grinned at her and allowed her to come into the room. He kissed her on the cheek "Hey sweetie" he said, closing the door "Don't tell me you lost your key again"

"Oh, I uh-" Buffy smiled back "Just temporarily misplaced it, that's all"

"Typical"

"Well, you know me"

"So... you decide to blow off classes again today?" he asked as he turned to walk over to his closet

"Um yeah" Buffy watched his back for a couple of seconds before going over to Will's desk and absently rummaging through some papers that were on it, taking the opportunity of Will's turned back for a few moments to have a closer look around the room. It seemed pretty ordinary to her - nothing that would help them anyway. Her eyes idly flicked over the books on his desk noted the titles of the books he was apparently reading. //Very impressive//. Buffy began to turn back around //Very im...press...ive... Oh please God, why did you have to do this to me? Why did you have to show me naked cute guy?// 

Will saw Buffy's slack-jawed and slightly glazed expression and raised an eyebrow "Liz, are you OK?"

"...Unnh" //Lookathisfacelookathisfacelookathisfacelookathifacelookathisface//

Will looked down at himself and then back at Buffy "OK, not that I don't appreciate the goldfish impression Liz, but you *have* seen me naked before"

"I know" Buffy's voice came out in a squeak. Buffy swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure and not give in to her desire to rake her eye over every tanned inch of Will's muscled body "It's just..." she couldn't think of a way to finish the sentence and instead concentrated on not reaching out just to touch.

It didn't help her when Will walked over to her; slowly and with a seductive smile on his face. Buffy cleared her throat //Oh please God help me// . "It's just" she managed to continue "Um... why are you naked?"

"I need to be naked to change clothes" Will was now only a couple of feet away.

"Oh... right. Obviously" //Don'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdown// "So, uh, why aren't you, uh, changing then? Y'know, to stop the being naked and all that"

Will laughed "What is up with you?" he asked, resting both his hands on his hips lightly "You've been acting a little weird since this morning"

"Weird? No" Buffy fiddled nervously with a strand of her hair "Well, maybe a little. Will I need to-" Buffy broke off when Will reached out and caught hold of her hand that was playing with her hair. Will brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips.

"Need to what?" Will asked in a soft voice, looking at her intently. He stepped a little closer to her.

Buffy stared back up at him and found herself looking into rich, dark brown eyes "I... uhh..." //What was I supposed to be doing again?//

Will caught hold of an unresisting Buffy's other hand and brought both her arms forward before wrapping them around his waist, still keeping hold of her hands behind him. He smiled tenderly at her "Need to what?" he asked again.

"Um, well..." //OK, Buffy, all you have to do here is push him away. Just push him away... c'mon you can do it// Buffy's arms seemed to respond when Will let go of her hands and put his own on her waist. Buffy's arms fell to her side //Oh good limbs. Good limbs. Now, Buffy, you're doing well ignoring the fact that the naked man is only a hairsbreadth away//

Will drew his gaze away from Buffy and bent his head to her neck, planting a soft kiss on her skin.

//OK... maybe not so well// Buffy realised //Where the hell are my Slayer sensibilities? *Please* arms, just push the naked man away// Buffy stifled a slight moan when Will nibbled at her earlobe //And ooh, the arms are moving, the arms are moving... to his ass. Stupid arms//

Will drew back and looked back into Buffy's eyes "Do you realise how much I'm hot for you?" he murmured.

//If what is pressing against my hip is anything to go by.. then yes// "You are?" Buffy tried hard not to squeak. She knew shouldn't be doing this. It wasn't *her* who he was talking to - it was Liz. But the part of Buffy that missed being held, missed being looked at with lust or love or anything that meant someone cared about her like that, missed having the opportunity to feel like a woman - was the part that was in control at this moment.

//This isn't hurting anyone// she told herself when Will's lips began to move slowly towards hers //It really isn't like *I'm* cheating on anyone. I'm still gonna break up with him// Buffy closed her eyes when Will's lips finally brushed up against hers //Not hurting anyone//.

As Will deepened the kiss, Buffy moved one of her hands up to the back of his neck, holding him closer //Oh God. I really hope Xander doesn't get mad//.

-------------------

Sean waited until Xander had laid the pen down on the desk before speaking and therefore making Xander jump out of his skin.

"You know you're the second person I want to have a bell around their neck" Xander said as he turned to face Sean who stood behind him "What happened to you anyway?" Xander asked, "We wanted to ask you a quick question"

"We needed to kinda recharge the hologram projector thingy"

"The hologram projector *thingy*?" Xander raised an eyebrow "Is that a technical term?"

"About as much as I care to know about it" Sean said "I just walk into chamber and let the machine do the work" Sean held up the small black computer device he always carried "I don't even know what this is called"

"Ah, a technical man after my own heart" Xander grinned "I like you more now"

"Really?" Sean grinned back "How much?"

"Not that much" Xander smiled back good naturedly, then gestured to the device Sean carried "So what *do* you call it then?"

"Gizmo seems to work well"

"Because of it's resemblance to a small furry gremlin?"

"Well, it's not good with water"

"I'm glad we cleared that up"

"OK OK" Sean peered over Xander's shoulder at the letter on the desk "Whatcha doing?"

"Writing out how I'm going to break up with Jenny. I've been drawing on my experience with my ex-girlfriend and what she said to me"

Sean read what Xander had written "Oh my God" Sean chuckled "What the hell did you do?"

"I cheated on her. Let's not dwell"

"OK, but I really don't think saying that to Jenny is a good idea. So where's Buffy then?"

"Gone to see Will. Do the break up thing"

"And you're not with Jenny be-" Sean didn't get to finish the sentence as 'Gizmo' bleeped at him. Sean looked at the screen and was silent as he read the information being given to him. Shortly he glanced back up at Xander "Uh... tell me again what it was that Buffy going to do?"

Xander began to frown at Sean's expression "Why? What's up?"

"Uh... I don't think you want to know"

"Is Buffy OK?"

"Pretty much" Sean replied "She's uh.. she'shavingsexwithWill"

"She's having what with who?"

"Sex with Will"

Xander stared back at Sean in silence for a few moments before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose "I can't believe this" he moved his hand from his nose and then through his hair "I just can't..." Xander looked back at Sean "What does she think she's playing at?"

-------------------

"Would it help if I told you to take deep breaths?" Sean asked Xander a little while later as Xander paced around Alex's dorm room in an effort to try and rationalise Buffy's actions

Xander didn't glance at him "Probably not"

"In that case I'll just mention that *technically* she hasn't done anything wrong and before you but in" Sean added hastily when Xander looked at him this time "I'd just like to *reiterate* that point *and* she's adult enough to make her own decisions" he paused "Granted it wasn't the right one, 'cos now you've gone like two steps backwards"

"Gee, you don't say" Xander kept on pacing.

"Xander, OK, you may not have the inclination, but Buffy and I sure as hell noticed that Will is a total stud and I know I'd find it hard and don't even try and make a joke out of that" Sean tried a different tact "Look, haven't you ever just *not* been looking for something and then suddenly it's throwing yourself at you?"

"Yes. She was called Faith"

"See, there you go"

"But then she tried to kill me"

"So probably not something we want to focus on with you"

"Sean" Xander stopped pacing and sat down on the bed "I appreciate what you're saying and I know Buffy can make her own choices but for *Christ's sake*" Xander hit his fist onto the bed "How can she go from breaking up with someone to having sex with them?"

"Maybe she was trying to ease the blow"

"Probably not the best choice of words"

"You know what I mean. Xander" Sean made sure he had the other man's attention "I doubt she did it on purpose" 

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

Buffy smoothed down her clothes and took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Alex's dorm room.

"Who is it?"

Buffy opened the door a little and stuck her head through the gap "Only me" Buffy came in and closed the door. She saw Xander lying on the bed, his hands stretched out to his sides and staring up at the ceiling. "Hey. You get hold of Jenny yet?"

Xander lifted his head up a little to look at her "Nope. What about you? How did it go?"

"Oh... fine, fine. Did Sean make an appearance?"

Xander sat upright "Yeah, but he's taking a break" he gave her a concerned look "You OK? You look a little flushed"

"Flushed?" Buffy put a hand to her cheek "Oh... well, uh maybe a little" she dropped her hand and shrugged "Probably just the humidity"

"Or maybe the sex"

"Or maybe the... the" Buffy cleared her throat and studied her friend's face. Xander was giving her a blank expression but she could see how his mind was working behind his eyes. "Oh. I see" Buffy crossed the room and sat on the chair by the desk "The all knowing, all seeing Sean, huh?"

Xander turned around to face her "What did you think you were doing?"

"I thought you just said you knew what I was doing"

"No, I knew *who* you were doing" Xander replied "I just don't know what you thought you were going to achieve by it"

"I wasn't planning on achieving anything by it" Buffy retorted, not liking the way Xander was taking this "I didn't plan on anything"

"I think that was fairly obvious"

Buffy stared at him in disbelief "I really don't have to explain myself to you Xander. I really don't" she stood up and then leant up against the desk "It just happened and that's all there is"

"You had *one* thing to do Buffy. *One*"

Buffy rubbed at her temple "Xander, look-" she began.

"No, come on Buffy. Did you just think that this job was too easy and that we needed something to spice it up?"

"Xander, it didn't even have anything to do with you. I can't believe you're getting like this"

"You can't believe I'm getting like this? Buffy, I don't know about you, but I want to go home and we can't do that unless we do these leaps as quick as possible" 

"Don't make it like you're the only one that wants to get back home Xander" Buffy's voice rose. Buffy shoved herself away from the desk and moved over to the other side of the room "Y'know, I'm thinking the only reason you're getting like this is because I got some and you're pissed 'cos you've got to wait until we get back"

Buffy instantly wanted to take back those last words when she saw the emotions flicker over Xander's face and she opened her mouth to apologise but Xander cut her off.

"Save it Buff" Xander stalked towards the door "I'll just get on with my part of this whole thing". Xander shook off Buffy's hand when she reached for his arm as he made his way to the door "Maybe I'll just camp outside Jenny's door or something 'til she shows up"

"It just happened Xander" she said as Xander stood in the doorway "I know it was stupid"

"Yeah. It was" Xander didn't look back as he let the door click closed behind him.

Buffy sighed and went over to Alex's bed, flopping face down onto it and groaning loudly into the covers "Ugh. Why do I always get hit by the crap from the fan?"

"That's a lovely image"

"Decide to stay out of it?" Buffy rolled over onto her back to face Sean.

"Something like that" Sean answered "I thought you both had points"

"Fence sitting huh?" Buffy sat up "Probably the best way to go"

"But I do think you should have thought about what you were doing more"

"So falling more over onto Xander's side" Buffy gave Sean a half smile "How 'bout I tell you what Will looked like naked?"

Sean's eyes glazed over for a second "Oh, that's very tempting but how 'bout you just leave it to my imagination, huh?"

"Sure"

"But then again, if you want to give me a few hints when I'm showing you the way to your dorm, you won't find me stopping you"

-------------------

Xander found himself lost on the campus. He realised once he'd left Alex's room, that although he knew the room number and building, he couldn't remember the way nor could he see any of the landmarks that he tried to store in his memory from his trip from there earlier that day.

He looked around at the people who seemed to know where they were going and wondered if Alex knew any of them and if he could play dumb and ask the way to his soon to be-ex temporary girlfriend's dorm room. Xander sighed //Or maybe not//. he spotted a nearby bench and sat himself down on it. He slumped back and closed his eyes.

Xander had only meant to try and have a rational conversation with Buffy about her actions, but instead it had all spiralled out of any kind of rationality. //But she never actually said that it was a mistake and how could she event think that I would be jealous 'cos *I* wasn't the one having sex?//

"Penny for them"

Xander opened his eyes at the sound of Jenny's voice and found her standing infront of him, a half-amused, half concerned look on her face. "Hey" Xander gave her a small smile "I was just coming to see you"

Jenny frowned a little "Did you forget I had classes now?"

"Oh, I uh... yeah" Xander shifted over so Jenny could sit next to him "Guess I did"

"Are you OK?" there was still a small frown on Jenny's face.

"Is there any chance you could cut? I kinda want to talk to you about something" he looked around "Somewhere not here?"

"Alex, I can't. You know I'm way behind in all my stuff. It'd be stupid to miss anymore lectures". Jenny gave him a questioning look "You can't talk to me quickly now about it?"

"It's not really a quick thing" Xander tried to explain "Look, you go learn stuff and I'll drop by later?"

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna concentrate when I know you want to talk seriously" there was only half a note of humour in her voice "Alright" Jenny conceded. She stood up "You can come by later". Jenny leant back down and kissed him on the forehead, maybe a measure of how wary she was of his motives for wanting to talk to her. She still smiled at him anyway before she turned to take her leave.

Xander waited until she was out of sight before he began to make his way back to Alex's room, hoping that he'd be able to talk to Sean and see if he could get some more information on all of the people that were involved in this leap.

As he walked, Xander's thoughts drifted back to Buffy and how he could try and talk things over with her. If they were to work together on this, then they needed to be able to talk to each other.

------------------- 

Liz's room was very much like Buffy and Willow's dorm room they shared in their freshman year, except this was a one-person room. There were posters of bands on the wall and a tiny kitchenette and a desk up infront of the only window with piles of book stacked on it. 

And now, for the second time that day, Buffy was changing clothes a few feet away from Sean. She stood behind a strategically opened wardrobe door. Buffy tugged the dress over her head and flung around the edge of the door, aimed at Sean but it only flew through him and landed on top of the TV.

"I'm just saying Buffy, that maybe you should try and see it from Xander's point of view"

"I've seen it from his point of view Sean" Buffy replied, smoothing down the skirt she just put on "And I like mine just a teensy bit better"

Sean groaned "Buffy, I thought you wanted to straighten things out with him"

"I do" Buffy emerged from behind the door now fully dressed with a thin green, v-necked sweater complimenting the knee-length black skirt "Just not right now. And I know you're just playing his corner" Buffy's words weren't harsh "Because you think he's a babe"

"Of course. After all, he has a much nicer ass than you" Sean kept his face straight "It's probably going to be a winning factor everytime"

"You're just a laugh a minute aren't you? And there is no way his ass is nicer than mine"

"So you've looked at it enough to be able to make a comparison then?" Sean shot back.

"Th-there may have been occasional glances" Buffy glared at Sean when he smirked when she faltered "And it's not really my fault if he wore those swimming trunks-"

"Swimming trunks?" Sean's eyes lit up "Tell me more"

"Gee, is that a canoe in your pocket?" It was Buffy's turn to smirk.

"Nah. Aircraft carrier"

Beginning to get annoyed because Sean was matching her, Buffy gestured to her outfit "Do I look like I belong in the eighties?"

"No"

"Excellent"

Sean arched an eyebrow "So know you've changed, what are you going to do about Xander?"

"If I tell you what Will looked like naked again, will you stop asking me that?"

"What if I asked you to try and talk to Will again? Actually *break* up with him this time"

"Oh, I can't do that tonight" Buffy declared "If I see him again this soon, I'm going to want to have sex with him again"

"My God girl. Don't you have any self control?"

"I seem to have lost that with my Slayer abilities"

Sean raised his hands a little, a gesture of temporary defeat "OK. Fine. Take tonight off. I'll go see how Xander is doing"

"Tell him I still haven't forgotten about the bomb"

-------------------

__

(Later that evening)

For the second time that day, Xander fell back onto Alex's bed. His legs dangled over the edge and he brought both his hands up and put them over his face, closing his eyes too.

After a few moments of contemplative silence, he suddenly flung his hands arms out to his sides "What the hell does it take?!" he shouted up at the ceiling.

"Am I supposed to answer that?"

"Rhetorical question Sean"

"Something not go well?"

"Not really"

"Do you want to tell me or the ceiling?"

Xander sighed and propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Sean "I finally got to see Jenny"

"And?"

"I didn't break up with her"

"God, you didn't have sex with her did you?"

"No, I didn't have sex with her Sean. Do I look like Buffy?"

"Not in this light, no" Sean ignored the withering look Xander gave him "So what *did* you do?"

"I *tried* to break up with her. Really, I *did*" Xander told Sean "But she wouldn't have any of it. She kept saying she didn't believe that's what I really wanted and that we could try and make it work" Xander sat up "Sean, I thought you said that she was totally in love with this Will guy and not me, I mean Alex"

"She *is*" Sean assured him "I don't know, maybe she feels guilty about cheating on Alex and wants to do the best by everyone by giving him another shot. Did you mention about him having an affair with Liz?"

"Tried to" Xander admitted "But she got a phone call and said she had to take it. I just left. Maybe that might help"

"Well, at least you got further than Buffy" Sean said, "It's something"

"Oh, I think Buffy got pretty far"

"Xander why don't you just try and settle this thing between you OK?" Sean tried to mediate "Because I'm getting tired of having to flit between you both and get you to make nice" Sean carried on when Xander looked a little guilty "OK, so she had sex with someone and she said it was all safe and yes I know, overall, it wasn't the best idea she's ever had, but jeez Xander, just get over it. It's not like you're her Dad on this trip"

"I'm not *trying* to be anything Sean"

"Really? 'Cos to an outsider, you're acting like a jealous boyfriend"

"*What*?"

"I'm just saying that's how you're *acting*. Xander" Sean stayed firm "I'm just trying to get back a good working relationship here. Give it tonight. Get some rest and try again tomorrow. Buffy's going try again with Will, the *breaking* *up* part that is"

Xander fell back onto the bed again, a little defeated "You're really bossy, do you know that?"

"I'll have you know some guys like that about me"

"... and thank you for that visual"

"Anytime"

Xander rolled his eyes then lifted his head up to look at Sean "So... try again tomorrow, huh?"

"With Jenny *and* Buffy"

"OK. But only because you asked so nicely" 

"I'm here to help you *both*" Sean said with a smile, he looked at his watch "Look, I'm gonna go. If I hurry, I might just run into the cute guy who's in charge of the hologram projector thingy"

"Have fun"

Sean grinned wolfishly "I might just do that". He disappeared.

Xander stared at the space where the other man had been "Everyone's having sex but me"

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to do this outside?" Sean asked Buffy as he followed her out of Liz's dorm building "It's very public"

"I'm hardly going to go at it with him outside am I?" Buffy muttered back at Sean under her breath "And I'm definitely not going to if you're standing beside me"

"Thank God for that"

"Ha ha" Buffy held a can of soda up to her mouth, pretending to take a drink "OK, how's Xander doing?" she mumbled.

Sean looked at 'Gizmo' "Nothing's happening so far" he told Buffy "But then he might not be there yet"

Buffy still held the can up to her lips as she walked "I can't believe he couldn't just ditch her" she continued to mumble, only loud enough for Sean to hear. She hoped. "And he was angry at me because I didn't break up with Will"

"But he didn't get pelvic with Jenny, did he?" Sean reminded her.

"No. No he didn't" Buffy removed the can from her lips and sighed "He was the perfect gentleman"

"I'm not saying you did any thing wrong Buffy" Sean assured her "Just next time think about who else is involved"

"Sean, I don't think there are going to be anymore next times" she whispered "I'm beginning to feel horrible enough as it is, realising that someone wasn't having sex with me, but who they thought I *was*"

"You've only just realised that?"

"It's Riley and Faith all over again" she sighed "But Will's not going to get hurt by it" she turned to Sean "Is he?"

"Won't know a thing"

"Good" Buffy actually drank from her soda this time as she carried on walking to where she'd arranged to meet Will. She looked around at the handful of students that were around and wondered idly if any of them had even given second thought to what things went bump in the night or that people could leap into other people's bodies or even if people could get possessed by hyenas or turned into rats.

"You OK?" Sean asked her after a little while of silence between them both 

"Yeah" Buffy glanced across at him as he walked beside her "Y'know, I feel I should feel *used* or something"

"You don't?"

Buffy shook her head a little "I just felt... nice"

"Shouldn't you be telling all this to Xander?"

"Do you see him around anywhere?"

"No... but I see the girl he supposed to be breaking up with" Sean pointed to Jenny, who had just exited from a building a little way in the distance, looking distressed "Looks like Xander may have just done the business" Sean said.

Buffy watched as Jenny was walking quickly and bumped un-caring into a few people as she made her way away from the building. Buffy then saw Xander appear from the same building as Jenny. He called after her and Jenny stopped and Xander walked up to her. Buffy winced when Jenny slapped Xander across his face. Several people stopped and gave the couple some stares, but Jenny just turned and stormed away.

"I'd say you were right" Buffy said. She continued to watch as Xander rubbed his hand over his cheek. He watched after Jenny for a while before shaking his head sadly and starting to walk away from the building he'd just exited from with Jenny.

Buffy looked around. She was supposed to be meeting Will here, but he had yet to arrive. //Maybe I should take this time to talk to Xander//. Buffy took a few steps in the direction that Xander was head and called out.

"Alex!". He didn't turn around so Buffy tried again "Alex*xander*!" Buffy raised her hand in the air when Xander turned around.

"You could have just got me to yell" Sean commented as Xander began to head over.

"No one stopped you" Buffy replied, going to meet Xander half way.

"I'm supposed to be a mind reader now?" Sean shot back as he followed after her.

Buffy ignored Sean "Hey Xan" she gave Xander a small smile "I see you've been busy this morning" she gestured over to where Xander and Jenny had previously been "How's your cheek?"

"I'll live" Xander said "As we haven't leaped out, I take it you haven't seen Will yet"

"He hasn't appeared yet" Buffy told him "I thought I'd take the chance to speak to you"

"Sean didn't throw a hissy fit with you too did he?"

"It was *not* a *hissy* fit" Sean said indignantly "I merely stated my opinion firmly"

"And Buffy, I don't think we're going to get to chat anytime soon" Xander then added, he nodded over Buffy's shoulder to where Will had just spotted them.

Buffy turned around "Well I'm *definitely* not going to have sex with him if you're here"

"You mean you were going to if I *wasn't*"

Buffy noted his slightly incredulous tone. She turned back to him "Don't start"

"I wasn't starting"

"I now that tone of voice, Xander"

Sean smacked his palm against his forehead //I give up//

"What tone of voice? I was just saying-"

"Yeah" Buffy put her hands on her hips "And you were *just* *saying* last night"

Sean saw that Will was beginning to head over towards them "Uh guys?"

"Not now!" Buffy and Xander replied in unison.

"*No* *now*" Sean replied firmly "Will's coming. Look if you really want to finish this argument, just do this break up quickly and then you two can argue all you want"

"*Fine*" Buffy shot a look at Sean before turning back to Xander "Just put some damn effort into this and then we can go"

"Effort into what?"

"This" Buffy took a deep breath and in one swift movement she brought her hand up to the back of Xander's head and pulled him down, closing her eyes as his lips met hers.

Xander's immediate reaction was to jerk back in surprise, but Buffy felt it just in time and put a gentle pressure on the back of his head, trying to keep him there.

"Okaay" Sean glanced quickly at Will, who had stopped in his tracks, before drawing his attention to 'Gizmo' "And we seem to be getting some where". Sean looked back "But then if Will comes any closer and sees you two looking like you've just kissed a frog, we might not be"

Xander opened one eye and glared at Sean who just gestured to him with both hands for the two of them to get closer. Reluctantly Xander circled one of his arms around Buffy's waist. Xander tried to relax a little as Buffy's other hand slid down his back and ended up somewhere where he'd never thought Buffy's hand would ever be.

//And if this isn't the weirdest thing I've ever done to break up with someone..// Buffy thought //And if I so much as feel any bit of Xander's tongue, I'll kill him//

Sean watched on as Will set his jaw firmly and began to make his way once again over to the couple. He glanced down again at 'Gizmo' which was now bleeping "100%" at him.

"Say bye bye you two" Sean said "Have fun arguing on the other side"

At Sean's words, Buffy and Xander immediately broke apart and just in time to see each other leap.

-------------------

The second he saw light again; Xander felt a tug on his wrist. It took him another second to realise that Buffy was no longer infront of him and that he was lying on his stomach, his shoulders at the edge of a cliff.

"What the-" Xander felt another tug on his left wrist which saw was reaching down the cliff face. "Holy crap" Xander looked down and saw that the reason for the tugging was a handcuff encircling his wrist.

And that in the other handcuff was Buffy's wrist.

Buffy didn't appear to be in any trouble. Her feet were planted firmly enough on a little ledge. She was just waiting to be pulled up.

Buffy looked up at him, then at the handcuffs, then back at Xander. "Oh you've got to be joking"

=============

to be continued...

Read the next episode **_"No Ruby Slippers"_** ...


	4. No Ruby Slippers

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Four: "No Ruby Slippers"

Summary: Still at odds with each other, Buffy and Xander find themselves in the middle of nowhere with only each other for company.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** R (Violence).  
**Spoilers:** 'Becoming p2', 'The Zeppo', 'GD p2', 'Harsh of Light of Day'.  
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

The second he saw light again; Xander felt a tug on his wrist. It took him another second to realise that Buffy was no longer infront of him and that he was lying on his stomach, his shoulders at the edge of a cliff.

"What the-" Xander felt another tug on his left wrist which saw was reaching down the cliff face. "Holy crap" Xander looked down and saw that the reason for the tugging was a handcuff encircling his wrist.

And that in the other handcuff was Buffy's wrist.

Buffy didn't appear to be in any trouble. Her feet were planted firmly enough on a little ledge. She was just waiting to be pulled up.

Buffy looked up at him, then at the handcuffs, then back at Xander. "Oh you've got to be joking"

Xander moved his wrist, making Buffy's arm sway too "Somehow, I think the joke is on us"

"Oh… God" Buffy groaned. She looked down. The ledge Buffy was standing on was quite big and unless she decided to take a flying leap off the end, she wasn't going to fall off. She and Xander were close to the top of a cliff one side of a gully. Both sides of the gully were about four storeys high and comprised of a mixture of rock face and hard compacted earth. The sides were separated by about five metres of rocks and earth at the bottom with a tiny trickle of a stream running down the middle. There were no other ledges on either side apart from the one that Buffy was standing on, so Buffy guessed that she had slipped over the edge and had luckily found some footing.

Buffy looked up again //Of course it helps that there's someone else attached to me to stop me falling any further down//. Buffy shifted awkwardly. Her arm that was raised in the air was stretched quite far. If she stood on tiptoe she'd be able to grab hold of Xander's hand. Which is what she did.

"Well don't just *lay* there Xander"

"Well that's a *real* nice attitude" Xander replied "You're not going to say please?"

Buffy glared at him "Do you want me to pull you down here?"

"Why? Do you want me to meet the next guy you're going to have sex with?"

Buffy yanked hard on Xander's wrist, smiling when she heard him try and stifle a gasp of pain "Xan, if you were down here you'd be the *only* guy, and I'm *so* *not* having sex with *you*"

Xander tutted "And after you shoved your tongue down my throat as well"

Buffy stared back at him in disbelief "I *did* *not* shove my tongue down your throat!" she exclaimed "And if *any*one was doing *any*thing with their tongue, it was *you*"

"I *was* *not*!" Xander retorted "Who kissed who *first*, huh?"

"I did it to break up with Will, you idiot"

"And you needed to *kiss* me to do that? You couldn't have just turned around and yelled 'Hey Will, I'm breaking up with you'?"

"Well, maybe I thought kissing you would be quicker and are you going to help me up *at* *all* anytime today?"

"Maybe I'm just psyching myself up to be able to carry your weight" Xander steadied his free hand against what seemed to be a firm patch of earth on the edge of the cliff. He grabbed hold of Buffy's hand tighter and began to push himself up "D'ya think you could put some effort into it?" he called down to her.

"Hey, I'm *trying* here" she called back up "There's not much down here to use as a foot hold" Buffy had one foot jammed onto a dip in the rock face, trying to push herself up as Xander was pulling her.

With a bit more pulling and clambering, Buffy soon had half her torso over the edge of the cliff. They were now effectively doing it with one arm each now, as the handcuffed wrists became obstacles. Xander gave one final pull and Buffy was now able to get over the edge herself.

Buffy took a couple of deep breaths and ran her hand through her hair; forgetting that it was the same one that was attached to Xander. "What?" she ignored the look on his face. 

They sat next to each other; Buffy's right wrist handcuffed to Xander's left one, both of them sat with their legs out stretched and facing the gully. Buffy held their newly joined limbs out infront of them both.

"This is not good" she said "I can't *believe* I'm *attached* to you"

"Oh, like *I'm* *happy* about it too" Xander replied "And stop tugging on it, it's not coming off anytime soon unless you've got your Slayer powers back"

Buffy kept fiddling with her end of the metal bracelet "I mean, *why* the hell are we handcuffed together? And where the hell is Sean?"

"I don't know and I don't know" Xander answered. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing - a blue cotton shirt over identical coloured blue pants and flimsy, dirty white trainers.

Buffy noticed she was wearing the same "OK. Should we be waiting for Tommy Lee Jones to come after us?"

"Huh?"

Buffy waved their wrists about "The Fugitive?"

"You think we've escaped from somewhere?"

"That would explain the handcuffs, yes Xander"

"Handcuffs do have other uses Buffy"

"Oh and I'm sure you and Anya know them all"

"We've got three pairs" Xander shot back.

"Pervert"

"Oh, I forgot you and Riley were Mr and Mrs Straight-laced"

"Well at least we aren't Mr and Mrs 'We'll-do-it-anywhere-so-long-as-there-aren't-bunnies-within-five-hundred-yards'"

"*One* hundred yards"

"Just tell me you two haven't had sex in my house"

"No. We haven't had sex in your house" //Just the garden// "Are we going to sit here all day?"

"I'm not going anywhere until Sean turns up" Buffy tried to cross her arms, but Xander wanted his hand back "If we start heading off somewhere, we could get lost and even then we wouldn't know if we were getting lost in the… in the right direction"

Xander didn't want to admit she had a point. "Great. So we just sit here?"

"For the moment" Buffy twisted around to look behind them "We've got a whole load of thick forest behind us" she told Xander, who had also turned around to his left "Maybe we could try to explore a little of it later if Sean doesn't show up for a while" she turned back around and banged her head against Xander's who hadn't moved back.

"*Ow*!" Xander brought his hand up to his head, which meant Buffy's came too. He looked at the handcuffs again "This is going to be a *real* problem"

Buffy rubbed her head with her free hand, glaring at Xander "You don't say"

"Well you could stop looking at me like it's all my fault"

"Yeah? Well *technically* it is" Buffy shot back.

Xander stared back at her in disbelief "How in the hell did you work that out?!"

"Well if I hadn't been walking you to back to Anya's" Buffy replied hotly "I wouldn't have been anywhere *near* you and I wouldn't have got swept up in all this pile of crap called *leaping* and *then* I wouldn't be *chained* to *you*!"

"You're completely insane!" Xander got to his feet, making Buffy get up too.

"*I'm* insane! *I'm* not the one who went *completely* *over* the top because I decided to have sex with someone!" Buffy shouted "Maybe the fact that you did *exactly* the same thing with *Faith* slipped your mind, huh?"

"Faith! You're bringing *Faith* into this now?"

"Why the hell not?" Buffy countered "What? I suppose you're going to tell me that it's completely different aren't you?" Buffy put her free hand on her hip and looked at Xander expectantly, smirking triumphantly when he failed to respond immediately.

Xander tried to storm away but found he couldn't as Buffy was insistent on staying where she was. He turned back to her and glared "It was *different* because my sleeping with Faith had nothing to do with us being able to get out of here quicker"

"You didn't break up with Jenny *either* that night" Buffy pointed out "And my God. Is that all you were worried about? Getting out of here quicker?"

"Well I'm hardly going to be jealous about you having sex am I?"

Buffy scowled at him and sat down. Xander swore when his arm got yanked and had to sit down to, albeit as far from her as he could manage. "And I'm *not* jealous just because, what was it you said? Because you 'got some' and I had to wait until I got back to Anya" he turned to her "I can't believe you even made an issue out of that"

"I *didn't* make an *issue* out of it" Buffy replied tersely.

"Whatever"

"Fine. Take that attitude" Buffy huffed "You're being childish about the whole damn thing"

"Childish? You won't even admit you made a mistake"

"That's because I didn't Xander. I knew exactly what I was doing" she turned away from him and gazed out over the gully.

Xander watched the back of her head for a couple for a couple of seconds before looking out over the gully himself. After a few minutes of sitting together in silence, Xander turned back to her. "Want to try and find a way to get out of these cuffs?"

Buffy looked at him "Suddenly find a hacksaw in your pants did you?"

Xander gave her a withering look "I was thinking more a long the lines of venturing further into the woods and seeing if we couldn't find some rocks or something"

"Do you realise how long it would take to try and break these links" she held up their wrists "Smashing a rock against them?"

Xander frowned "Unfortunately, yes I do"

-------------------

"Oh my God" Sean chuckled softly to himself as he appeared a few yards to the left of Buffy and Xander "Oh, this is too good". Sean continued to watch in silence as Buffy and Xander stood either side of a medium sized boulder, their handcuffed hands in the middle, stretched out laying bare the metal links that joined them. Xander had a good-sized rock in one hand and was hitting it against the links as hard as he could without hitting their hands. Xander was concentrating hard and Buffy was looking on; a very bored expression on her face and her hand on her hip.

Sean watched as Xander caught Buffy's expression and stopped what he was doing. "That's really not helping" he told Buffy.

"Xander, you've been at it for a half hour" Buffy replied "It's not making an impression and my feet hurt from all the standing around"

Xander shoved the rock towards Buffy "Why don't you give it a go then?" Xander shot back "If you think you can do better"

Buffy didn't take the rock "I didn't say I could do better" she pushed his hand back "I'm just saying its taking too long"

"Well maybe if you stopped complaining-"

"Um… children?" Sean finally decided to intercede "If I could just interrupt for just-"

"And where the hell have you been?" Buffy glared at him "We've been waiting here forever for you"

"Actually I did drop by earlier" Sean admitted "But you two were just having so much fun arguing with each other, I thought I'd come back later"

"How thoughtful" Buffy arched an eyebrow "I bet you're keeping it all for the Christmas party video aren't you?"

"Buffy, would you just shut up" Xander snapped "Don't take it out on him"

"Xander you don't have to get on his side" Buffy shot a dark look at him "He thinks you've got the best ass, it makes you win everytime"

Xander matched her look "Well aren't you just a sore loser"

Sean closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose "I don't believe this" he muttered "Why do I always get the difficult ones?"

"Sean, why are we here?" Buffy asked "And I don't suppose you know where there's a key?"

"Oh *finally* you decide you want to know why you're here" Sean said, looking a little peeved "And there was me thinking you were only interested in getting away from each other"

"So are you going to tell us then?" Buffy asked, unaffected by Sean's tone.

"She wants to know if we're expecting Tommy Lee Jones to come chasing up after us" Xander added.

"Well… in a manner of speaking…" Sean replied "You're both escaped convicts. It's May 1981. You were both being transported, along with two other prisoners, in a bus to another jail when the bus crashed. The other two prisoners overpowered the only conscious guard and then you hightailed it out of there"

"Where are the other two?" Xander asked.

"And how come they cuffed male and female prisoners together" Buffy added with a frown.

"They didn't" Sean grinned toothily at her "You're a guy"

Buffy stared back at him blankly, a little in shock, just taking this new piece of information in. //I didn't think I was wearing a bra//. Buffy looked down at herself then back up at Sean "I don't feel like a guy" she said finally.

Xander looked her up and down "Well, no… but-" he pointed to her face "I think that might be the beginning of a mustache"

Buffy scowled at Sean when he unsuccessfully stifled a smirk then she glared a Xander who was at least managing to keep a straight face "I really hope you get to be a girl soon"

"At least I'll be one with a better ass than you" Xander retorted.

Sean raised his hand a little in the air "Can I finish?"

"Fine" Buffy bit out.

"Y'know you'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning" Xander told her. Buffy gave him the finger.

Sean managed to stifle a smirk this time "OK" he carried on "You two are brothers. You're Christian Squire" Sean pointed to Xander and then to Buffy "And you're Nathan Squire. They're both up for appeal"

"Wouldn't escaping kind of jeopardise that?" Buffy stated.

Sean nodded "That's why you two have to give yourselves up peacefully when the time comes. Originally" he explained "Christian and Nathan kept trying to evade the police and when the cops finally caught up to them, Nathan got killed when they obviously tried to resist arrest" Sean glanced down quickly at 'Gizmo' "If we stop Nathan from getting dead and get both guys back to jail to await their appeal, they stand a ninety-five percent chance of getting free"

"What did they do?" Xander asked.

"Nothing" Sean replied "They always said they were set up and now some evidence has come up that can help with their case"

"How nice" Buffy said "So, how do we get them back to the police?" she asked, gesturing around "Because I don't see any guys in uniforms"

"They don't know the bus has crashed yet" Sean replied "It's pretty much the middle of nowhere here and the guards won't make contact for a couple of hours yet"

"What about the other two prisoners?" Xander asked again "Where are they?"

"I'm waiting on some info" Sean told him "Meanwhile you two have to start trekking"

"Yay" Xander and Buffy feigned enthusiasm.

"We've done a little research on the area for you" Sean then indicated further into the woods "There's a cabin about four hours hike from here"

"Four hours?" Buffy groaned.

"There might be something to help you get out of the cuffs…"

Buffy perked up "Well why didn't you say so earlier?" she tugged on Xander's arm, catching him off guard. "Let's go already"

Xander reluctantly began following after her. He glanced across at Sean "There'd better be a hacksaw"

-------------------

__

(An hour later)

"I need the bathroom"

"Cross your legs"

"And walk at the same time? Moron"

"I am not stopping just so you can pee"

"It'll take, like, *two* minutes"

"My hands are not going anywhere *near* *any*thing of yours that involves *that*"

"They won't *have* to"

"I know. Because we're *not* *stopping*. Do you *want* to get these cuffs off or not?"

"Ugh. *Fine*. But if I end up with permanent bladder problems, *you're* paying for the medical bills"

-------------------

__

(Three hours later)

"Why the hell Sean couldn't stay, I *don't* know"

"Maybe because you keep bitching"

"This is all your fault"

"Bite me"

"Oh, such a witty rejoinder"

"Ha. Look, there's a stream up ahead. Why don't we both go pee in that? We won't even have to close our eyes"

"Fine. But I am not sitting downstream from you"

"Fine. So long as you don't sigh with relief. That I can do without"

"Bite me"

-------------------

__

(Four and a half hours later)

"Call that a log cabin?"

"What were you expecting?" Xander responded to Buffy's comment as they set eyes on their home for the night. It had become quite dark and they didn't want to carry on walking even if they managed to find something to free themselves. Xander stepped up on to the first rickety stair leading to the wooden door that was hanging off its hinges. He pushed the door gingerly, expecting it to fall. It didn't. Xander turned back to Buffy "You wanted flower boxes and gingham curtains?"

Buffy followed him inside "*Actual* *glass* in the windows would have been nice" she replied "Guess we should be grateful it's got a roof"

Xander let his eyes adjust to the dim light inside the cabin. At a rough guess, Xander sized it up at about four metres long by six metres wide. There was a small fireplace on the right wall as you walked in and three plain wooden chairs seated around a small square table against the far wall in the middle. There was a small waist high cabinet next to the table to the right and a cupboard was attached to the wall above it; there were no doors on it and it appeared to contain something. Along the left wall was a bed with a thin mattress on it; a small chest stood at the foot of it. The only windows were at the front - either side of the door. Over everything there was a thick layer of dust and cobwebs were liberally dotted around.

"Isn't it quaint" Buffy wrinkled her nose as she looked around "And apparently no running water either"

"Maybe they're fitting the hot tub next week" Sean said sarcastically as he appeared beside them both. "Glad to see you can follow directions" he looked around the cabin "Y'know, my bathroom is bigger than this place"

Buffy and Xander both brushed dirt and dust off a chair each and then sat down. "That's great Sean" Xander said "But can we get back to the removing off the handcuffs?"

Sean shrugged "Try checking that chest" Sean nodded to the medium sized wooden trunk at the foot of the bed "I didn't say there *definitely* *was* anything"

Buffy got to her feet, tugging Xander with her. She crouched by the chest and checked for a lock. Not finding one she gingerly lifted the lid and peered inside. "OK, I've not known dead rats to pick locks, so if Xander would move his ass out of my light, I might be able to see a little better"

Xander gave her a withering look "Funny girl"

"Funny guy" Buffy returned flatly.

"Why me?" Sean grumbled.

"OK, I have this" Buffy informed them both, reaching in the dusty chest and pulling out a small roll of canvas "There's also a couple of moth eaten blankets, some rope and some reading material that I think Xander might appreciate". A small cloud of dust appeared at Xander's feet when Buffy dropped the small stack of Playboy on the floor.

"Your generosity astounds me"

Buffy ignored Xander's sarcasm and closed the lid on the chest "That's it" she said, standing up "Nothing helpful in sight"

Xander took the roll of canvas from her grasp and let go of one end so it unravelled "What's this then?"

Buffy muttered something under her breath as she looked at the set of less than brilliant looking hunting knives that a smug looking Xander held. She scowled and retorted tartly "I hope you're going to cut off your hand slowly"

-------------------

__

(Twenty minutes later)

*CLICK* *CLANK* *WHOOSH* *THUD*

The noises came in that order as Buffy finally managed to pick the lock on the cuffs using tip of one of the knife blades, it hitting the table, flying through one of the window with no glass and finally hitting the ground outside.

"Congratulations" Sean said dryly as Buffy beamed triumphantly "And for your next feat?"

"Conjure some food out of thin air?" Xander's suggestion was accompanied by a grumble from his stomach.

"Do I *look* like Willow?"

"Do I look like Willow" Xander mimicked her childishly, before slumping back in his chair.

"I *really* can't wait until we get out of this mess" Buffy stated grumpily "Being with you twenty-four hours a day is slowly resembling hell"

Xander frowned "Ditto"

"Hey, I've just had a brilliant idea" Sean said with fake cheer "Why don't I just go away and leave you two here to fend for yourselves. All alone and lost in the woods. I'm sure you'll have a blast"

Xander looked at him "Oh don't you start"

"No. I'm going to start" Sean replied "Whatever has crawled up both your butts and died, well… *get* *over* *it*. I am sick and tired of you two arguing. Don't think that just because I'm not being projected infront of you doesn't mean that I'm not aware of what's going on. Frankly, I'm considering asking to get transferred to another leaping gig, 'cos this sure as hell ain't a bed of roses".

"Tell me about it" Buffy griped back "Right now, I'd give my left arm to be able to just click my heels and get the hell out of here. Instead" she continued "I've got to listen to Xander whine and you bitching to me about how I'm bitching to you"

Sean matched Buffy's stubborn glare "Do you two *even* *know* what you're arguing about any more?" Sean shook his head, not waiting for answer "You know what, I don't care. I'm gone for this evening. You two should be fine here until the morning. I wouldn't worry about food, according to our details you should get picked up by the police early afternoon. Hopefully you won't have killed each other by then and *hopefully* you might have sorted out whatever is between you two" Sean keyed a few buttons on 'Gizmo' and disappeared into thin air.

Buffy folded her arms and scowled at Xander for the umpteenth time that day. "You made him angry"

"I see everything is my fault again"

"*You're* the one who got uppity in the first place about me sleeping with Will" Buffy pointed out "You're not my boyfriend Xander. In case you'd forgotten, I don't have one of those anymore, therefore I can choose to do what I want… or *who* I want" she added crudely.

When Xander didn't respond, only matching her stubborn look, Buffy continued "I know he thought he was with someone else, and yes, I admit, that does irk me a little. But I didn't feel used like I thought I would" she stated "I felt nice. I *wanted* to feel *nice*, be told I was beautiful and made to feel special". Buffy got up from her seat and walked over to the bed. She sat down "That's all there is Xander. Now it's getting late and I want to get some sleep. Don't even try hustling me for this bed. I can still kick your ass if I need to".

Xander bit his tongue and turned away from her as she got up and began shaking the mattress to get rid of the dust, cobwebs and dirt. He tried not to think about how her words were beginning to ring true in his head. Instead he grabbed the blankets that had come from the chest, spreading them both out on the floor, not bothered about the dust and laid down on them. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, hoping that thinking happy thought about Anya would help him get to sleep. //Just not *those* kind of happy thoughts// Xander gently reminded himself //Don't want Buffy finding sporting anything but bed hair in the morning//.

When Buffy was satisfied the mattress was clean enough she put it back and sat down on the bed. She glanced over at Xander who had apparently settled himself on the floor for the night. Buffy knew it was stupid the way they were arguing, but she refused to give in. She was the Slayer, giving in wasn't in the handbook.

-------------------

__

(Early next morning)

"Hey *guys*" Sean spoke loudly, causing Both Buffy and Xander to wake with a start. Sean ignored their looks of annoyance. "I've got some good news and some bad news" he informed them "What do you want first?"

"Bad news" Buffy and Xander said in unison.

"OK, we're off to a better start this morning" Sean commented. Without waiting for a response from either of them to contradict him, Sean continued "OK. Bad news. Those other prisoners that escaped from the bus with Christian and Nathan, that's you two if you remember" he added "Anyway, these other two, Ian Peterson and Harry 'The Psycho' Viniski, are about five miles away. It, uh, seems that Christian and Nathan angered them a little and well, they want to kill you, I mean them"

Buffy and Xander were now completely awake. "They want to what?" Xander said, sitting up.

"The good news had better be *good*" Buffy stated as she got to her feet.

"The good news is that if you leave now" Sean explained "They won't catch up to you before you get to the police to give yourselves up"

Xander and Buffy stood together "But they're handcuffed aren't they?" Xander said, "It'd be hard for them to kill us if they're attached"

"Apparently they had the good sense to steal the guard's keys" Sean replied "And they're only *behind* you two because they took a wrong turning somewhere along the line before getting back on track. This track. So I suggest you two think about getting a move on"

As Buffy began towards the door, Xander sighed and looked around the cabin. "It looked better in the dark" he commented "I definitely won't be coming back here next summer"

Sean glanced at Buffy's retreating form, waiting until she'd stepped outside before speaking to Xander. "Any improvement between you two?" he asked "Or do I need to crack the whip again?"

"Nope to the first one. And also, scary visual"

Sean looked thoughtful as he watched Xander follow after Buffy. "And certainly one I'll be having again" he mumbled to himself as he walked through the wall of the cabin and outside where Buffy and Xander now stood.

"So where now?" Buffy asked.

"Take the path back down from the cabin" Sean indicated to where a small dirt track led through the trees "Keep going for about a hundred yards and then turn right and make your way up the hill"

"Hill?" Xander groaned "Why can't there just be one of those nature trails that have the handy steps built for lazy people?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Xander, just move your ass will ya". Buffy started off down the path "Or don't you want to get out of here quickly this time?" she called over her shoulder smugly.

Xander narrowed his eyes as Buffy continued on walking. He decided not to give her the satisfaction of hearing him retort. At least that's what he told himself. Xander couldn't really think of a cutting remark at that precise moment.

"I heard what she said to you last night" Sean told him just as he started to walk off after Buffy. "She's right"

Xander shot Sean a sideways glance as the other man walked beside him. "Maybe"

"Then why don't you tell her that?"

Xander looked straight ahead. "Because"

"Because you're a big manly man and you don't give in that easily?"

"Exactly"

"I'm slowly going off you now"

"That I can't help Sean"

"Oh well, I'm sure I'll cope. I'm having dinner tonight with Juan"

"Juan?"

"The cute guy who runs the hologram projector thingy" Sean explained "At least, that is" he then added "If I can get you two sorted out before then so I don't have to put in overtime. After all" Sean carried on "I'm sure that risking a friendship is something that you don't want to do, is it?"

Xander stopped to speak to him. But Sean had chosen that moment to disappear. Xander sighed then began to walk a little quicker to catch up with Buffy.

-------------------

__

(A little while later)

"Buff, do you think you could get a move on?" Xander asked "This hill is tough going as it is without having to watch your ass infront of me and worry that someone with the middle name 'The Psycho' isn't closing up behind me"

Buffy accidentally on purpose let her foot slip against some rocks, which then came tumbling back into Xander's path causing him to stumble. 

"Oops. Sorry" Buffy sounded a little too innocent.

Xander glared at her back "Yeah, I just bet you are"

"Yeah, well you didn't seem to have a problem with my ass when your hand was on it when we were fake kissing"

Xander's jaw fell open "My hand was *not* on your ass. *And* if I remember *correctly*, it was *your* hand that found it's way to *my* ass"

"Y'know I really don't know why Anya makes all that fuss about it" Buffy bit back as she finally got to the top of the hill that Sean forgot to mention was also incredibly steep. "Or Sean for that matter". She ran a hand through her hair and looked down the hill as Xander still continued to climb "And what was he saying to you back then anyway?"

"He told me to suck it up and stop arguing with you"

"So you didn't listen to him then?"

"I'm still thinking about it"

"Don't strain yourself"

"Wasn't planning on it"

"I was talking about the climb"

"… so was I" Xander replied as he joined Buffy at the top of the hill "See? Not even out of breath"

"I can see a bead of sweat" Buffy pointed to his forehead.

"And you're as fresh as a daisy?"

"Completely" Buffy stuck her tongue out and turned around to see if it was clear where they had to go next.

"Liar"

Buffy didn't turn around "Am not"

"Are too"

"Ooh Mr Mature"

"Like you're any better"

Buffy turned around, trying not to smile "I'm totally grown up"

"Because you stake Vampires?"

"Exactly"

"I stand corrected"

"So you should"

Buffy looked around "Do you think we should be caring more about people with the middle name 'The Psycho' wanting to kill us?"

"Eh" Xander shrugged "We've had worse"

"But then I've been Super Slayer" Buffy conceded "It's a little different now"

The smile that had been working its way onto Xander's face slipped away a little "Hey, I'm still me" he said "Don't worry, normal guy can still cope"

Buffy caught the edge in his voice "Did I mention anything about you?"

"No" Xander brushed past her and began making his way through the trees, heading towards a rocky outcrop about five hundred yards up ahead of them both "I never get mentioned"

Buffy's eyes narrowed at the back of Xander's head "I wasn't aware that you needed a certificate everytime you went out on patrol"

"That's not what I'm asking for" Xander replied.

Buffy started after him "Then *what* is it that you want Xander?" she asked "A points system? For every ten vamps you stake you get a gold watch?"

Xander stopped and turned around "What I want is not to be wrapped in cotton wool. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself"

"Oh yes, I forgot" Buffy said as she stopped infront of him "You're the guy we go to about bombs"

"Great you're starting off with that again are you?" Xander turned away and began walking off again.

"Well why the hell not?" Buffy called after him.

Xander frustratedly batted branches out of his path "Because it's *my* thing"

"*Your* thing?" Buffy ducked when a branch came swinging back her way "Oh I'm *so* sorry" she said, dripping with sarcasm "I didn't realise. Please forgive me"

"There's also the fact that it's got nothing to do with why we're even here" Xander tried to point out "If we're going to get loud and angry why don't we just go back to the original thing we were getting loud and angry about!"

"Because you were the only one who had an issue with it!" Buffy shouted back "But if that's what you want to do I guess I can do that! *Fine*! You want to make a point about me having sex with Will then I'd just like to point out *again* about you and *Faith*!"

Xander spun around "At least I knew Faith for more than six hours!"

"And what about Anya, huh?! What about the fact that she told me and Willow that before you two had even started going out, you'd slept together" Buffy became sarcastic again "Helping her out of the kindness of your heart to get over you by having sex with her"

"Don't you *dare* bring Anya into this!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were getting personal!"

"Fine! Let's get even more personal. *Parker*. Didn't really work out with him did it! I thought that would have put you off!"

"Well at least he didn't throw me out in the middle of the night in my underwear after he'd got what he wanted!"

"Well *actually* if she hadn't thrown me out, I'd never have known about the damn bomb that you're so interested in!"

"What the *hell* are you talking about!"

"You really want to know what else I did that night after Faith? Do you want to know about the bomb that was in the boiler room of Sunnydale High that I managed to get a zombie to disarm by out-psyching him?!"

//And if we were different people that sentence would have sounded insane//. "What the hell were you doing out-psyching a zombie!"

"Stopping him from blowing up the school! *Which*, I'd just like to point out, if that *had* of happened, the Hellmouth would have stayed open!"

Buffy took a moment to process that. "And you decided not to tell anyone about that because…?"

"Like there was anyway in hell that any of you would have believed me" Xander replied "More likely you would have just patted me on the head and sent me out for more donuts"

"OK. *Now* you've lost me"

"That's just the thing. You don't realise. Everytime you tell me to stay away, you think you're being kind! But you're not thinking about how it makes me *feel*. You don't care that you make me feel useless!"

Buffy's eyes flashed angrily and she took Xander by surprise by slapping him hard across the face. "You bastard!" she cried, "How can you say that! How can you *stand* there and *say* that to me!". 

Buffy sniffed back tears as she hit out at a still stunned-from-the-slap Xander, catching him on the shoulder "How dare you save all that crap up and believe it's true!". She hit him again, tears starting to escape "You liar! Of course I care you stupid idiot! I care about anything that happens to any of my friends! And what am I supposed to do?! Am I supposed to just *let* you get killed because it'd boost your self *esteem*?! Do you have any idea about how much you mean to me-"

"Buff-" Xander reached for her arm but she pushed him away.

"Don't" Buffy let her tears fall. She was upset and she didn't care who knew it. "You're supposed to be my friend! My *best* friend!" she pushed him away again "But you don't obviously have a clue about anything about me!". She made a move to walk away but Xander caught hold of her arm. 

She glared at him through eyes full of salty tears "Just don't Xander" she said before he even spoke. Buffy pried herself out of her grip "I can't believe you can even think any of that!". Buffy began to walk quickly away again and when Xander called after her she began to run.

Xander stared after her in silence. Still not quiet sure what had happened. Only that he had gone too far.

Sean cleared his throat gently. Xander didn't look at him; he just hung his head. I know" he said simply.

"You'd be an even bigger idiot if you don't go after her"

-------------------

Buffy breathed in big gulps of air when she reached the rocks that she had been heading towards. //No one tells you how hard it is to run when you're crying//. She heard Xander calling her and guessed he was coming after her so she started to run again. She didn't want to talk to him. Not at the moment. Residual Slayer agility meant she could progress over the slightly rockier terrain easier and Buffy realised that the rocks were a beginning of a cave system. 

Without looking back to see where Xander was she took a hard right and darted into one of the caves. Not stopping to see where she was going, she just ran on and on into the darkness, with only faint glimmers of early morning sun stopping her from colliding with the walls.

Buffy tripped when it became too dark and she fell onto her face, only just getting her arms out in time to take the brunt of her fall. But she got to her feet, ignoring the twinge in her ankle and kept going at a slower pace until could no longer hear the echoes of Xander calling her name from outside and until she ran out of breath and until she couldn't see her hands infront of her face. Buffy hugged her arms around herself and sank to her knees on the cold and damp stone floor. Her chest heaved with sobs.

"Why can't I just go home?"

-------------------

Xander stopped by the rocks. He'd been sure he'd seen Buffy up here but he couldn't see any sign of her now.

"Buffy!" he turned to Sean "Where is she?"

Sean tapped some keys on 'Gizmo' "Keep on straight for another twenty yards then take a right" he said without looking up "First cave you see, just head straight into it"

Xander followed Sean's instructions and stopped about ten feet into the cave. "How am I supposed to find her in here and how come I can see you perfectly well?"

"It's the holographic projection thing" Sean shrugged "I'll explain later. Just follow me and I can take you to her"

Thankfully Sean walked quickly and told him where to watch his step and pretty soon he could hear Buffy. Still crying.

"Buff?" Xander called out softly.

"Go 'way" came echoing back to him.

Xander followed the sound of her voice "Buffy, I'm sorry"

Sean walked up ahead until his little computer told him he was near Buffy. He didn't say anything but just waved his hand to indicate to Xander where she was.

"Buff?" Xander walked up behind her until Sean waved to him to stop and pointed down. Xander knelt and reached out his hand tentatively, his finger grazing Buffy's shaking shoulders.

"I don't… want to talk… to you" Buffy voice was still a little cracked with emotion "Leave me… alone"

Xander drew back his hand "Buffy-". Xander cut short when he found himself being shoved backwards.

"I said *go* away!"

"No!" Xander shot out his hand quickly and grabbed hold of Buffy, managing to get her arm.

"Xander let me go-o" Buffy's tears started again "I want t-to be left a-alone"

Xander pulled her to him even when she kept trying to push him away. He wrapped his arms around her as she finally gave in and started crying on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" Xander broke off and sat down on the ground, rocking with Buffy. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" he kept repeating those three words over and over again for what seemed like an age until Buffy's sobs began to subside. He brought one hand up to gently cup the back of her head "Shush"

Buffy drew back a little and Xander dropped his hand. Buffy sniffed delicately "You shouldn't have said those things. You shouldn't have said that I didn't care"

Xander cupped the side of her face, wiping tears he couldn't see off her cheek with his thumb "I know"

Buffy sniffed again "'Cos I do care. A-and I'm sorry that it makes you feel bad, but I can't help that I never want you to get dead or-or scratched even and-and-" she reached up put her hand over the Xander's that he had on her face "You're my best friend. I love you"

"Love you too" Xander leant forward and kissed her softly on her forehead "You're the best friend ever. Joint with Willow"

"I don't want to argue again" Buffy said, "It make me feel horrible"

"No arguing. Promise"

"I'm sorry I hit you"

"S'okay"

"Really?"

"Yeah" Xander let his head rest against Buffy's "I should never have said you didn't care"

"Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"Is your ass getting cold too?"

A little laugh from both Buffy and Xander echoed around the walls of the dark cave. Xander began to get to his feet, clutching at Buffy to keep his balance as she did the same with him. "You OK?" Xander asked when he heard a slight hiss of pain from Buffy.

"I tripped before. I think I've just wrung my ankle. Nothing hey… major. Uh Xand? You're carrying me"

"Believe me, I am aware"

"OK. You just made it less sweet"

"Sorry. Uh Sean?" Xander called out into the darkness "You want to get us out of here?"

"Uh actually" Sean appeared "You might want to stay in here for a little while"

"Why?"

"Because the people that want to hurt you are outside"

"Great" Buffy and Xander groaned in unison.

"I would have told you sooner" Sean continued "But you were having a moment"

"Xan?"

"Yeah?"

"Shall we go kick these guy's butts?"

"With you all the way Buffy"

"You might want to put me down then" Buffy suggested "If we *both* want to look all manly, you don't really want to be seen carrying me"

Xander let Buffy's feet drop to the floor. "Forgot you were a guy"

Buffy clutched at his arm as they began to make their way out of the cave using Sean as a guide. "I'm just glad I didn't have to worry about suddenly getting a penis"

"…OK" Xander said "That's my second scary visual for the day"

Buffy laughed "What was the other one?"

"Sean and a whip"

"I'm not going to ask" Buffy smiled. She blinked a little when the cave became more visible, the morning sunlight filtering in and glancing off the rock. "How far out of the cave are they Sean?"

"Wait here" Sean disappeared for a few moments then came back "They've actually tracked you as far as here" he told them "I think they were planning on waiting you out. They look pretty determined"

"OK. Determined. We can deal with that" Xander said, "We do have one thing they don't"

Buffy looked up at him "We do?"

"Yup. The power to talk ourselves out of anything"

Sean raised an eyebrow "You think that'd work?"

"Only one way to find out" Buffy said, letting go of Xander's arm and heading towards the light.

Xander turned to Sean "We'll be outta here in no time". Xander hurried after Buffy. "You gonna be OK with that hobble?" he asked her.

"I thought we were gonna let your mouth do the fighting" Buffy said, "My hobble shouldn't be an issue"

"Just checking" Xander raised an arm to shield his eyes as the full brunt of mid-morning sun hit him in the face "Man, how long were in there?". Xander lowered his arm and blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adjust to the light. "OK. I don't see Mr The Psycho"

Buffy looked around "Yoo hoo!" she called out "Any escaped prisoners here?!"

Xander looked at her "I was going to suggest making a run for it if we couldn't see them"

Buffy grinned sheepishly "Oops"

"Well lookie if it isn't the Squire brothers" a deep voice boomed out.

Both Buffy and Xander's attention was drawn to the man who emerged from the undergrowth. Another man came from behind him. Both of them dressed the same as Buffy and Xander in blue prison uniforms.

The first man was tall and thin. His blonde hair was slicked back and sharp eyes glared at them both from behind thin, steel rimmed glasses.

The second man was short and stocky. He had dark hair and a bulldog face. Bushy black eyebrows protruded over thick, round, black rimmed glasses.

As they stood side by side, Buffy had to bite her bottom lip to stop from laughing. "OK. I've forgotten" she said, managing to keep her face straight "Which one of you is supposed to be The Psycho?"

Sean pointed out that it was the shorter man, who stepped forward anyway. "This ain't no laughing matter Squire" Harry 'The Psycho' Viniski said "You two got us beat up good by the guards. To me, that ain't funny"

Buffy burst out laughing and Xander gave her an odd look. "Uhh… you OK?" he asked, glancing at the other two men "'Cos I think it might help if you stopped with the laughing"

"I'm sorry" Buffy giggled "But, look at them" She tried to compose herself "They look like Herr Flick and Von Smallhousen. How am I supposed to be scared by them?"

Xander glanced back at the other two men, who were thankfully looking puzzled by Buffy's laughter rather than murderous, before looking back to Buffy. "I'm sorry, who?"

"You should really raid Giles' video collection when we get back" Buffy said, finally controlling her laughter. She looked back to the other men who were back to looking murderous again "OK guys. We should be adult about this. Just sit down and talk this out like real men"

"Exactly" Xander continued "For instance, why do they call you The Psycho? Is it something you made up to make yourself sound tough?"

"He rips peoples arms off" the other man supplied "It tends to frighten people into calling him psychotic"

Buffy looked at him scornfully "Is that it?" she looked up at Xander "Ripping peoples arms off doesn't seem that frightening to me"

"I've heard of scarier things" Xander replied. He looked back to Harry and Ian "Scary is seeing some guy about to suck the world into hell"

"Oh for crying out loud…" Sean rolled his eyes "We're doing this again are we?"

"Scary is having a guy turn into a sixty foot giant demon snake that wants to rule the world" Buffy said chirpily "And then having him chase you"

"Scary is watching Spike put Weetabix into blood for added texture"

"Scary is-"

"Are you two on drugs?" Ian cut Buffy off.

"Unfortunately not" Xander replied "If we were, you'd probably look a lot prettier. Say are we gonna fight or not? Because you haven't done a lot of moving towards us and I'd really like to see someone try and pull my arms off"

"Yeah, you can't really reach us to do that from where you are" Buffy added "Are you scared of *us* or something?"

Xander looked at Buffy "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Buffy shrugged "Sure". They both began to walk off when finally Harry and Ian made a move towards them.

Harry grabbed hold of Xander's arm, pulling him away from Buffy. Xander quickly realised that the stockiness of Harry wasn't fat, but quite a lot of muscle. Harry landed a blow to Xander's stomach and he went down, double over on the ground in pain.

Ian threw Buffy to the side. She grimaced when she saw Xander get hit, but her attention was quickly drawn away when Ian grabbed hold of the front of her shirt and hauled her up close to him. "You aren't walking away from this" he snarled "You both got this coming to ya"

Buffy brought her knee up to his groin, hard "Tell someone who cares"

Meanwhile, as he was on the ground, Xander lashed out with his legs, crashing them hard into Harry's shins, making the other and growl in pain but not making him fall. "OK, so you're more solid than I thought" Xander said as he managed to dodge one of Harry's fists "Maybe I should just follow Buff's example" Xander lashed out with his foot into Harry's crotch "I can play dirty"

As Harry fell back clutching at his crotch, Xander scrambled to his feet and pulled Ian away from Buffy as he went to attack her again. He landed a punch on Ian's jaw and quickly followed it up with a high kick to the other man's stomach. Xander grabbed hold of Buffy's arm. "I think we should do that running thing now"

"Good idea" Buffy agreed and she and Xander began racing back down through the tress that Sean happily pointed them towards.

Branches snapped against them as they barrelled through the trees. Buffy ignored the pain in her ankle as she followed after Xander. That was until she tripped and fell into the dirt.

Xander skidded to a stop and grabbed hold of her arm, hoisting her to her feet "C'mere" he said, grabbing her around her waist and flipping her onto his shoulder and trying not to notice that they were being caught "Just hold on tight"

Xander headed off again, albeit slower. He could hear the other men closing up behind him, their taunts and threats getting louder and then suddenly the sound of a gun shot came from behind them.

"*Buffy*"

"I'm fine. We're fine. No bleeding. Keep going"

"Sean said *nothing* about *guns*"

"I didn't *know*!" Sean called up to them from the bottom of the hill Xander was now running down "They must have taken them from the guards. The damn computer never said anything. I'll check how many bullets they have! Just keep going!"

"Do I look like Shwarzenegger? Do I *look* like the only guy who can get shot at from behind and not get hit?"

Buffy managed to push herself up a little, lifting her head and trying to see if she could spot the two men behind them. She swore when she realised how close they were and also that Ian was raising the gun again. "Get down!" she cried out to Xander.

Xander fell to the floor as the second shot rang out through the tress. He twisted so he didn't land on Buffy. He grunted with pain when his ribs came into contact with a fallen tree branch "God damn"

Buffy scrambled to her feet, clutching at his arm trying to pull him to his feet "Xan, come on!"

Wincing in pain, Xander pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a little as he tried to avoid the branch he'd just fallen on. This time he let Buffy try and lead them through the trees, realising every second that they were being caught. His bruised and possibly broken ribs and Buffy's damaged ankle becoming evermore the hindrance in their escape.

To prove this, Buffy stumbled again. Xander managed to grab her before she fell but it meant that Harry and Ian were now on top of them. It was pointless trying to keep on running. Xander held one hand to his ribs as he tried to control his breathing enough so it didn't hurt and the other was possessively clutching Buffy's upper arm.

Buffy glared steely-eyed at them "Took you long enough to catch up". She didn't flinch when Ian raised the gun at them both "I told you I don't *know* where the British Airmen are" 

"Huh?" Ian lost his concentration for just one second, puzzled by Buffy's sentence. 

Xander took the opportunity and immediately kicked the gun out of his hand and Buffy dove for it, getting it before Harry and quickly aiming it at his head. 

"Don't even try me" she said coldly, getting to her feet, holding the gun with both hands "I've taken care of bigger guys than you without even batting an eyelid"

"Just hold fast you two" Sean said "The cops who were after you heard the gunshots and they're on their way up here"

Ian took a step closer to Buffy and she waved him back with the gun. He didn't move. "I know there's only one bullet left in there" he sneered "How d you think you're going to hold us both off?"

Xander stepped up to Ian and went eye to eye with him "Well, if I beat one of you unconscious" he smiled thinly "It won't matter, will it"

"You're gonna beat one of us with broken ribs are ya?" Harry smirked "I'd love to see-" Harry stopped talking when Xander's fist hit his jaw.

Xander looked down at him "Looks like"

"So what?" Ian said "We just stand here until we die of old age?"

"No" a voice came from their left "You drop the weapon and put your hands in the air"

They all looked to their left where two brown uniformed Police officers with rifles pointed at them.

Xander glanced at Buffy "Guess we're outta here huh?"

Buffy dropped the gun "Not soon enough for my taste"

They both turned around and raised their hands in the air.

Then they leapt.

-------------------

The first thing that Buffy noticed was the smell. The horrible, stinky, rotting smell of vast amounts of people's rubbish. "Ugh… God… please send me back to the trees and the men with the guns and *ewwwww*" Buffy didn't want to know what she'd just put her hand in.

"I will second that" Xander said as he sat up beside her "And throw in a large "yyuccckkk*" he shook something gooey off his hand.

They were outside and it was almost pitch black. They were sitting on some kind of hill; a pile of something Buffy really didn't want to think about at the moment. She looked up and failed to see any stars. The only twinkling lights she could see were the ones from the big buildings in the distance. She looked to Xander, whose face she could just make out in what moonlight there was "OK. I'm guessing we're sitting on a big pile of garbage, yeah?"

"I'll go with you on that one" Xander replied "And now I just want to *go*" he managed to steady himself on his feet "I've been here one minute and I'm ready to pass out right now" he helped Buffy up "I think there's some kind of building down there"

"Please let it have kind and friendly people who will offer us a shower" Buffy followed carefully after him "I just want to soak in bubbles for the next three days"

Xander stepped off the pile and onto more solid ground "I don't think it comes equipped with even a shower" Xander said "It's looks like it's only a step up from our lovely summer retreat we spent last night in"

Buffy wiped her hand on her clothes "Oh yay"

Xander began to walk over to the building "C'mon" he called over his shoulder "Maybe this one'll have running water"

Buffy jogged up to his side, hugging the thin jacket she was wearing closer around her "We can only hope"

Xander grinned at her "If we're doing that, can I hope they have pizza?"

Buffy grinned back "With *lots* of cheese". Her smile faded a little bit as they got nearer to the small brick building. She squinted at the sign on the wall by the door. "Um… Xander?"

"Yeah?" he looked to where she was pointing "Uh… does that say what I think it does?"

"If you see the sign that says City of London" Buffy replied "Then, yeah"

They exchanged surprised looks "Oh boy"

=============

to be continued...

Read the next episode **_"So Close"_** ...


	5. So Close

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The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Five: "So Close"

Summary: The right time, the wrong Country and Buffy and Xander find themselves dealing with familiar foe.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** R (Language and violence).  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.   
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

The first thing that Buffy noticed was the smell. The horrible, stinky, rotting smell of vast amounts of people's rubbish. "Ugh… God… please send me back to the trees and the men with the guns and *ewwwww*" Buffy didn't want to know what she'd just put her hand in.

"I will second that" Xander said as he sat up beside her "And throw in a large "yyuccckkk*" he shook something gooey off his hand.

They were outside and it was almost pitch black. They were sitting on some kind of hill; a pile of something Buffy really didn't want to think about at the moment. She looked up and failed to see any stars. The only twinkling lights she could see were the ones from the big buildings in the distance. She looked to Xander, whose face she could just make out in what moonlight there was "OK. I'm guessing we're sitting on a big pile of garbage, yeah?"

"I'll go with you on that one" Xander replied "And now I just want to *go*" he managed to steady himself on his feet "I've been here one minute and I'm ready to pass out right now" he helped Buffy up "I think there's some kind of building down there"

"Please let it have kind and friendly people who will offer us a shower" Buffy followed carefully after him "I just want to soak in bubbles for the next three days"

Xander stepped off the pile and onto more solid ground "I don't think it comes equipped with even a shower" Xander said "It's looks like it's only a step up from our lovely summer retreat we spent last night in"

Buffy wiped her hand on her clothes "Oh yay"

Xander began to walk over to the building "C'mon" he called over his shoulder "Maybe this one'll have running water"

Buffy jogged up to his side, hugging the thin jacket she was wearing closer around her "We can only hope"

Xander grinned at her "If we're doing that, can I hope they have pizza?"

Buffy grinned back "With *lots* of cheese". Her smile faded a little bit as they got nearer to the small brick building. She squinted at the sign on the wall by the door. "Um… Xander?"

"Yeah?" he looked to where she was pointing "Uh… does that say what I think it does?"

"If you see the sign that says City of London" Buffy replied "Then, yeah"

They exchanged surprised looks "Oh boy"

Buffy stared back at the sign "This isn't… we can't be…" she looked back to Xander "Can we?"

"Looks like" he replied "We're somewhere called Lewisham"

"Sean *so* has a lot of explaining to do" Buffy walked away from the building and tried to see what she could in the dim light - there was only one tiny spotlight that hung from the corner of the roof. Buffy noticed another building that stood just behind and to the left of the building they had made their way to. The furthest building backed on to a high metal fence with rather limp barbed wire hanging ineffectively over the top of it. She and Xander were stood in a slight clearing from the mounds of rubbish.

"Eh, I'm guessing it can't be all bad" Xander said, "You never know. We might be able to do some sightseeing while we're here"

"Sight seeing?"

Xander shrugged "Why not?"

Buffy gestured around to their surroundings "Well I have to say I'm loving the London metropolitan life so far"

Xander rolled his eyes "C'mon. Lets just find our way out of here. Quietly. They might have guards or something. Then maybe we can find somewhere quiet to get hold of Sean"

"Fine" Buffy looped her arm through Xander's "But just promise me I'll get that pizza soon, 'kay?"

Xander turned back to her and grinned "Sure. Maybe I'll even spring for a-" he broke off when something caught his eye - a dark shadow flitted from out behind one of the rubbish piles.

"I saw that too" Buffy said as they stopped "A guard would have shone a light or called"

"I'm thinking we just go and *not* try to find out what or who it is" Xander said "I don't think we're really equipped to be dealing with thieves or anyth-" he broke off again as his hand curled around something in his jacket pocket "Or maybe we are". Xander pulled out a stake "Huh"

Buffy glanced around warily again as she reached in her own pockets. Her hand came in contact with a cross. She stared at it when she pulled it out then glanced back at Xander "Either I'm deeply religious or this just got a little too familiar"

"Familiar or not. I just want to get out of here" Xander grabbed Buffy's arm and she followed him away from the buildings, both looking for signs of an exit.

Buffy spotted a hole in the metal fence "That's where we might have got in". 

"Or maybe it's just where you're not going to get out". A dark figure crashed down infront of them, blocking their planned escape route. In the darkness there was no mistaking the glowing yellow eyes of a vampire.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure we could" Xander replied "Maybe if you just moved a little, yeah" Xander made as if he was looking around the vamp "We could squeeze through that"

But the vampire didn't want to play. The vampire's eyes flashed and he growled loudly, lunging towards Buffy. She jumped back and thrust the cross she held out infront of her, causing the vampire to hiss and turn his face away. Xander took the cross off Buffy and gave her the stake; Buffy going to stand just slightly to the side and behind Xander.

Xander continued to hold the vampire off as it tried to advance on them again. "You're just not taking the hint are you?"

The vamp snarled and lunged again, at Xander this time. The vampire lashed out and knocked the cross from Xander's hands and sent Xander crashing to the ground. Xander stared back up at the vamp defiantly as it loomed above him. Buffy kicked out, trying to draw the vampire's attention away. She almost succeeded, but then their attention was drawn by a shout of:

"Hey! Fang face!"

Buffy, Xander and the vampire all turned to see a group of youths standing about twenty yards away. All three hadn't even heard them arrive.

Buffy took advantage of the vamps second of distraction and hit him with a high kick to his torso. He stumbled back, his eyes flashing angrily at Buffy. 

For about two seconds before he turned into dust.

Buffy and Xander slowly turned around to face the gang of youths and saw that one of them had produced a crossbow from thin air. She was a slim, black girl with magenta hair that hung down her back and was dressed in scruffy jeans and a thin white woollen sweater with slashes in the sleeves.

Another two of the group were holding flashlights and Buffy could see there were about ten young men and women, all of them aged between about seventeen and twenty-five. With the exception of the girl with magenta hair, all of them held either a stake or a cross.

"Uh… Hi" Buffy said tentatively.

The young black girl, May, handed the crossbow to a tall blonde guy who stood next to her. She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms "I though you two were going to stay at the top of the heap"

Buffy was a little surprised at the cultured accent with which she spoke. "We were? I mean I know we were" Buffy amended quickly "But I thought I saw him go the other way and-"

"Yeah" Xander added, "We thought we might be able to divert him back or something"

"Or something?" May's eyebrow was still raised.

Buffy and Xander both just shrugged.

May rolled her eyes "Nevermind" she waved it off with a flick of her hand "We got the vamp. No one is dead. All in all, it's been a bloody good night". May turned to the guy who she'd handed the crossbow to "Foster, honey, why don't you take Donna and Cooper and uh-" she looked around "Mint, Jake and Kez and check out the docklands"

Foster handed May back her weapon "Sure. Are you going to do a clean on your way back to base?"

May nodded "We'll do the tube" she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek "Don't take too long OK? And watch out for the pigs"

"They seem fairly organised" Xander muttered to Buffy out of the corner of his mouth.

Buffy caught Foster's eye as he headed over towards them, followed by another three people; a white, tall and wiry guy with long black hair tied back behind his neck; a dark-skinned guy with no hair and built like a brick outhouse; and a short, slightly overweight girl with short, curly black hair.

Buffy smiled tentatively and Foster smiled back, stopping infront of them both. He glanced over his shoulder briefly and saw May heading off with four other guys and another girl "You two" Foster looked back to them "Are crazy. I know May ain't your favourite person at the moment Cooper" he looked to Xander "But just remember, you piss her off - she stays pissed off for the rest of the day which then means that I don't get any"

"Any?" the question came from Buffy before she realised she knew what he actually meant.

"As in shags, yes Donna" Foster said dryly "Those things you and Coop here have and then the rest of us have to pretend that we didn't hear anything coming from your room"

Xander exchanged a quick glance with Buffy who had flushed a little pink even thought it wasn't *them* Foster was talking about. Xander cleared his throat and looked back at Foster who was smirking along with the others "So, uh, we're doing the docks then yeah?"

-------------------

"Ther'int anythin' about" Kez stated as she jogged back to join Buffy and Xander who had done there own recon. Kez was the short, slightly overweight girl with curly black hair. She wore cargo pants and trainers topped off with a big fleecy jacket that was zipped up to her chin. Kez, Buffy and Xander had been grouped together to cover one section of the dockside. Apparently when May said the docklands, she didn't mean the swanky business area and the expensive flats - what she really meant was the grotty dockside with the grounded and abandoned boats and the derelict sheds.

"Yeah. We thought we heard something but it just turned out to be really big rats" Buffy replied as she sat down on one of the shorter mooring posts. She looked around "I think the undead have decided to call it a night"

"Tell me about it". Kez shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked at a small stone, making it skittle across the ground. She sighed "I 'member when we used t'get four or five a night round 'ere. T'night we were lucky t'get *one*"

"*Lucky*?" Xander raised an eyebrow.

"Cooper, you know we int never gonna be in no danger from no vamp if we've got our spray an' a spark". Kez took in their blank expressions. "You did bring 'em, dint ya?"

Both Buffy and Xander exchanged quick glances and reached into their pockets but found nothing but a cross and a stake each. Buffy smiled awkwardly "Uh... must have fallen out when we were garbage sitting"

"Garbage?" Kez smirked "You've really bin watchin' too much Yank telly Donna"

"Yeah, you've gotta remember to speak the lingo" Sean grinned at them both as he finally appeared "And you've already got the accent, so no need to put one on. Just think about words and phrases when you speak. An occasional 'Bloody hell' never hurt anyone"

Sean studied Kez as she took one hand out of her pocket to look at her watch. He glanced at Xander "Who's she? I'll get some info"

"Hey Kez" Xander asked the short girl "How much longer 'til we get back with Foster?". Xander glanced back at Sean who gave him a thumbs up and began tapped a few keys on his little computer.

"'Bout five minutes" Kez replied, shoving her hand back in her pockets "I'm gonna go check up there" she nodded towards where a burnt out car had been left "Keep an eye out this end. You'll definitely 'ear me if I need ya" she grinned at them both before heading up alongside the water side.

Sean pointed after her "Kerry Maxwell. Kez to her friends. Aged nineteen. May found her living homeless under a bridge. She was being attacked by two vampires which May and her gang dusted"

"Yeah? Well as great as it is that these people know what's out there at night" Buffy said "They shouldn't be taking on the evil undead with just one crossbow and some attitude"

Xander ran a hand through his hair "Yeah. Kez… Kerry… she seems to be a little blasé about the whole thing. Said we'd be safe if we just kept our uh…" he looked to Buffy "Spray and spark?"

Buffy nodded then looked to Sean "Is that some kind of rhyming slang?"

Sean shook his head. He pressed a few keys and studied the screen on 'Gizmo'. "Ah. Its actually simple form of self-defence" he nodded up to where Kez was "And in another minute you might just see it in action"

As Sean disappeared, Buffy and Xander exchanged worried glances and hurried off after Kez. Running faster when they surprised yell from the dark haired girl.

"Kez!" Xander called out as Kez stumbled backwards.

"The bloody undead bitch snuck up on me!" she cried, her hands scrambling in her pockets "Don't know where she went!"

Buffy stood back to back with Xander, one hand curled around a stake, the other around a cross. "Kez?" she said quietly as she continued to scan around "Can you hear anything?"

"Bugger all" Kez muttered back.

Suddenly their attention was drawn by a clatter of something metal hitting the ground. All three spun around and faced off with a tall, female vampire in her game face who stood a just a little less than ten feet away. She was tall and slender with white blonde hair that hung straight down her back to her waist. She wore a red halter-neck top and dark trousers that flared out over high-heeled boots. She smiled at them all, taking a couple of steps nearer "Great. Now I've got starters, main and dessert"

Kez stepped forward, keeping her hands firmly in her pockets "*Please*. You could at least be original"

"I rather thought I was sticking with the classics" the vampire replied, taking another step forward but now a bit more on guard than she had been before, noting the cross and stakes that both Buffy and Xander held. She eyed them both up and down as they stood side by side. "What a cute little couple. And they brought toys. How sweet"

Xander narrowed his eyes as the vampire lips twisted into a sneer. "But they're toys we know how to use" he bit back "Maybe you'll find out how well"

The vampire smirked "Ooh, down boy". She glanced at Buffy "Don't you speak?"

"Just waitin' for you to stop runnin' off at the mouth" Buffy replied, looking the vampire in the eyes.

The vampire turned her attention Kez, walking towards the dark-haired girl and stopping only a foot in front of her. "I'll turn you if you want y'know. You can live forever"

Kez stood her ground "Sorry" she shrugged "I want to lose a stone first. How 'bout I get back to you then?"

The vampire laughed and lunged towards Kez. But Kez was quicker, pulling items out of her pockets as she jumped back. The vampire squealed in pain as she leapt back almost immediately, batting out flames that caught her long hair and began licking up the front of her body. Kez stepped back again, still holding out the aerosol can - the flame from a small cigarette lighter held infront of the nozzle.

Buffy and Xander watched on, impressed, as the vampire howled in pain, still trying to beat out flames. Finally the vampire ran and hurled herself towards the water.

Sean reappeared and pointed to Kez "Spray and spark"

Kez turned back to Buffy and Xander, a grin on her face. "This is what they *don't* show how to make on Blue Peter". She glanced at the water "If the flames didn't kill her" Kez said, beginning to walk off down the water side "Then the crap in that water will"

Xander turned to Buffy "I am *so* gonna have one of *those* when we get back to Sunnydale". He jogged on after Kez.

Buffy turned to Sean "Now why haven't I ever thought of that?"

-------------------

'Base' turned out to be something entirely different to what both Buffy and Xander expected. 

After they met back up with Foster and his group, relaying their meeting with the white haired vampire, they'd followed behind the group on a three quarter of an hour walk 'home' through suburbs and high streets of different boroughs, before finally walking up a long winding lane shrouded by oak trees to find themselves outside a large three storey Victorian style house. 

Xander could see, even in the moonlight, that the outside of the building could do with a large amount of work - a few of the windows had boards up to replace broken panes of glass and many tiles were missing off the high roof. The driveway was paved but completely over run with weeds and a big pile of rubbish bags stood close to the dirty stone steps that led up to the front door.

As she walked up to the door, Buffy saw the hand-made wooden cross nailed to the arch above the door. She looked back to Xander and nodded up towards it "Better than nothing" she muttered softly to him.

As he was the last one in, Xander closed the door behind him. He noted that the door was actually quite sturdy. It was solid wood - no windows to smash - and on the inside there were three dead bolts at the top, middle and bottom of the door.

As they stood in the area behind the door, everyone else who had been in their groups quickly disappeared off to another part of the house, just giving a shout to Xander to lock the door. 

As Buffy stood with her back to the front door, she looked down a long wide hallway. Half way along on the right was a staircase that led up to the next floor. The walls along the hallway were mainly covered with posters interspersed with cracked and flaking white plaster and the wooden floorboards were almost hidden by several tatty and threadbare rugs.

"Well, I have to say" Buffy said quietly as Xander worked the locks on the front door "It's definitely better than the last place. Although I'm not quite sure I want to know what that smell is" she poked at some of the flaked plaster "And it needs a hell of a lot of work"

"I know" Xander said, looking around "Isn't it fantastic?"

Buffy gave him an odd look "Fantastic?"

"If I had the time and the money" Xander said quietly "I could fix this place up no problem"

"Ah. I'm talking to Builder Xander here, aren't I?" Buffy smiled at his enthusiasm "Well maybe they'll let you do some odd jobs while you're here, huh?"

"You think?" Xander climbed up a few steps of the staircase and looked up to the next floor "This place really is incredible"

Buffy just smiled as Xander started to inspect the railing that ran up the length of the staircase. She watched him for a few moments more before stepping back and looking through the open door on the right. There was no main light on in the room but something was flickering and occasionally highlighting objects. Buffy stepped through the doorway and saw that the light was coming from a TV, but there was no sound.

Buffy stepped cautiously around something solid she couldn't quite make out on the floor and then around the side of the sofa. There was someone sitting on it, leaning on the opposite arm of the chair from where Buffy was standing, their legs tucked up beside them on the cushions and eyes staring straight ahead at the TV.

Buffy saw in the flickering of the colours from the TV, that it was the girl that had gone off with May when the group had split earlier. The girl was fairly pretty, but wore no make up and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a long, dark flared skirt and a Bon Jovi tour T-shirt that had seen better days. She glanced up at Buffy and gave her a small smile.

"Hey Don" the other girl said, "Your lot get anything interesting tonight?"

"Uh… just the one" Buffy said, "Kez, uh, flamed her… arse" 

The girl smiled and looked back to the television "That girl is becoming a right little pyro"

Buffy grinned a little and perched on the end of the sofa, looking to the television too. It was on MTV. "Um, can I ask why you're watching with no sound?"

"House rules, remember?" the girl gestured to the screen "No Hear'Say when other people can hear it" she paused briefly "So how come you're not snuggling up with Coop yet? You two usually hit the sack the moment you get back"

"Oh… uh, he's, uh, just checking" Buffy glanced out towards he hallway. She saw Sean standing there beckoning her "Some stuff out" Buffy turned back to the other girl "I'd better go find him" she smiled and stood up from the sofa "See you tomorrow"

"Night"

Buffy left the other girl to watch her television and walked back out into the dimly lit hall. Sean was standing where Buffy had seen him a few moments before and Xander was sitting halfway up the staircase picking at the frayed edge of the carpet that ran up the centre of it.

"Been making new friends have we?" Sean said to Buffy, pointing to room behind her "Probably a good thing" he added "'Cos it looks like you two might be here for a while"

Buffy stared at him "A while? You can't be-" she broke off, glancing back to the open doorway "Upstairs" Buffy mouthed to Sean and began to climb the stairs, Xander following after them after they passed him.

Sean led them both across the small landing and along a darkened corridor. There were doors only on the left side of the hallway as another staircase, smaller than the other one, went up the right side of the hall. Sean led them to the furthest door on the left and gestured for them to go in.

Xander felt for a light switch by the inside of the door and found one. As light illuminated the room, they saw it was about the size of Buffy's training room. The door they came in by was in the centre of the room and faced a small, curtainless window on the back wall. In the upper left corner was a double bed, its headboard against the back wall. A small bedside table stood by it with a lamp and a radio alarm clock on it. In the other corner were a small desk and a bookshelf with only a few books on each of the shelves. A wardrobe and a chest of drawers were against the right wall along with a small easy chair covered with a tatty throw, in the bottom right corner of the room.

"Very homey" Buffy said flatly, but raised her eyebrows a little when she sat down on the surprisingly comfy bed. 

"Hey, it's nicer than my old basement" Xander said as he sat next to her, he looked around briefly "And apparently we have to get used to it" he glanced back at Sean "At least a week you said, yeah?"

Buffy looked quickly to Xander and then Sean "A week?"

"Maybe more" Sean informed her "These kids are gonna get into trouble. We think they might have pissed some people off, probably not intentionally either. You two have to make sure they can protect themselves"

"Oh, way to sound ominous Sean" Buffy said, "I'm guessing these guys didn't protect themselves first time around?"

Sean shook his head sadly "This place got burnt to the ground. With everyone in it. No one managed to get out"

"That's… horrible" Xander said, "Who'd do that?"

Buffy stood up and ran a hand through her hair "Maybe the vampires they try and fight" she looked to Sean "What does your uh" she gestured to the small, black computer he held "Little computer thingy say?" 

"It has a name" Sean replied "It's Gizmo"

Buffy stared back at him "That's stupid"

"Pot, kettle and black sweetheart. Now as to your question" Sean carried on, ignoring Buffy's scathing look "Yes, it could have been vampires"

"But as there were no survivors" Xander added "We can't know for sure"

"OK, lets say it is vamps" Buffy said, becoming all business "We've seen that they're adept at taking one at a time… maybe even two or three if the group stays together" Buffy turned to Xander "But against a big group of fang faces…"

"We can't be sure" Xander finished. He ran a hand through his hair "They do seem pretty tight on the front door security here" he commented "With the cross over the door and the bolts on the inside. But we'd have to check the rest of the house. Basement access, windows… maybe even the roof" Xander suggested "There's plenty of trees tall enough for someone, doesn't even have to be vamps, to get access"

"You're right" Buffy agreed "But It's too dark too check properly now, we'll have to do it tomorrow. *And* I didn't see any weapons laying handy either" 

"There's a couple of sheds that the fire didn't quite get down at the bottom of the garden" Sean informed her after scanning the screen "The fire crews found a stash of weapons there. But some have their own weapons as well"

"And expensive ones too" Buffy sat back down on the bed next to Xander "That crossbow that girl May had was top of the range. I know, 'cos I've been hinting to Giles about one similar. They're not your average street kid or squatters choice of weapon either"

"Which comes to another question" Xander said, "How is it that we're all in this place? This isn't somewhere I'd have thought would have been left to be taken over"

"Then it may surprise you to know that it does actually belong to May" Sean explained "It used to be a Government run children's home. It was operational from after the Second World War until the mid-eighties when it was sold off to an American business man who wanted a little bit of England. Unfortunately he never got around to doing this place up and is actually now living in Brazil due to tax reasons" Sean paused for breath "The guy in Brazil is May's father. He was divorced from her mother, who's British and still lives in this country. May found out about this place and when she had a big bust up with her mom and her mom threw her out, she came here with her substantial allowance from her father"

"So where did everyone else come from?" Xander asked "And why fight the forces of evil?"

"May got attacked one night on her way back here" Sean replied "She got rescued by Foster" Sean smiled a little wistfully "Pretty much love at first sight too. That was three years ago, but they didn't really acquire anyone else here until about a year and a half ago when they rescued two homeless kids from a hungry vampire" Sean checked his screen "And that was you two. Donna Ryan and" Sean chuckled and glanced up at Xander "Archibald Cooper"

"Great" Xander said, "OK, what about the rest?"

"Donna and Cooper got brought back here. May and Foster gave you both an address to make it easier for you to get a job. Which by the way Xander, is something you don't have at the moment. Buffy, however, has to leave here at ten tomorrow to wait tables at a delightful little restaurant in the city"

Buffy sighed "Oh joy"

Sean continued "In turn Foster and Cooper saved a young girl called Judith a couple of months after they got brought here. Foster and Cooper went out every so often after that, saving the odd kid from being killed. If the kid doesn't have a home, they can come back here" Sean looked at his screen "It's not a free ride however. You have to be prepared to work. Either here or outside in the world. But you don't have to go out with Foster and Cooper on patrol if you don't want"

"I pretty much got the idea that May led this group" Xander said.

"Its kinda three way. Works on a sort of a rota between her, Foster and Cooper" Sean replied "Foster and Cooper always want a big group to go out hunting with, but May isn't so keen" he looked to Xander "That's why you'll find she's a little off with you. She's a little threatened, that's all. Anyway, I'm gonna leave you two now. I'll pick up with you in the morning Buffy. Give you directions to work"

"Sure" Buffy pulled a face "I'll be raring to go". Buffy yawned as Sean disappeared and scratched her head absently "Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"Flip you for the bed?"

"Nope. You got it last time" Xander fell backwards onto the bed "You can have the floor or the chair"

"What the hell happened to chivalry? I am *not* sleeping on the floor *or* the chair"

"Then you'll have to share" Xander kicked off his shoes "'Cos I'm staying right here"

"You expect me to share a *bed* with you?"

Xander clasped both his hands behind his head "You don't snore do you?"

Buffy stood up and put her hands on her hips "Y'know what? Fine" she said, "I can be adult about this. We can sleep head to toe" Buffy then narrowed her eyes "But the moment you steal *any* bit of *my* part of the duvet, you're getting kicked. Hard"

Xander rolled his eyes "Fine" he sat up again, his hands falling into his lap "But I'm getting changed 'cos these clothes stink" Xander looked her up and down "And so do yours"

Buffy's hands stayed on her hips "I wonder what Anya would say about us sleeping together"

"I'll tell her I rejected your advances" he paused, managing not to smile "You know I sleep in the nude don't you?"

Buffy kicked his ankle. Hard.

-------------------

Buffy stirred when she heard the soft patter of raindrops against the window. She screwed her eyes further shut and pressed her face further into the pillow, tugging the covers up over her shoulders and under her chin. When she noticed that the covers had more give than they normally would have, Buffy opened one bleary eye and saw that half the cover that had previously been over Xander was now bundled all around her.

Xander shifted, but didn't wake up. Buffy sighed inwardly and pushed her hair out of her face before trying to move some of the duvet back over Xander. Only half succeeding, Buffy slid out from out of the bed, her bare feet hitting the wooden floorboards. Standing up, she re-arranged the long T-shirt she'd had to use as a night shirt as Donna apparently favoured the more skimpy nightwear that Buffy was *so* not wearing while she was sharing a bed with Xander. They'd had enough trouble getting changed in the same room, resorting to turning away from each other and heads covered by pillows. Well that's what Buffy had made Xander do; Xander had decided to just give her a couple of moments warning to turn her back while he apparently stripped to his boxers and then jumped into the bed, taking the side nearest the wall.

If there were people in the next room, Buffy didn't want to guess what they thought was going on.

Buffy glanced over at Xander, whom it seemed she hadn't woken up. He slept on his back, his chest was rising and falling slowly and his face was a mask of peacefulness.

//At least someone is getting some sleep// Buffy glanced out of the window. It was still dark outside. //*I* get woken by drizzle//. Buffy padded slowly over to the window, leaning her forearms on the sill and gazed out into the night. She yawned quietly and rested her forehead against the glass, her eyes following the odd rivulet of water making a pathway down the other side of the window.

After a few minutes of staring out into the blackness, Buffy drew back, looking into the eyes of her reflection. Buffy couldn't pick out the finer details of her new face; only that she had dark blonde hair with a few streaks of colour at the front, that Donna's eyes were dark and her face was slightly fuller and rounder than Buffy's.

Buffy glanced once more outside before walking back from the windows and towards the bed, cursing softly under breath along the way when her heel scraped against a rough piece of floorboard. She sat down heavily on the bed, bending her leg to see what the damage was. The moonlight coming in through the window was enough for her to see that there was no major damage. As she set her foot down again she heard a muffled noise from behind her.

"Buff?" the muffled noise became clearer the second time "What are you doing?"

Buffy twisted around "Hurt my foot a little. S'okay though"

"Oh" Xander was still lying down, studying her through half open eyes that peered out from underneath his too long hair "You couldn't sleep?"

Buffy shifted around so she was facing him "Nope. Too many things going on up here" she said softly, tapping the side of her head.

Xander pulled the covers back up over his waist then propped himself up on one elbow so he was facing her. He gave her a look of understanding "Thinking about the things we should be doing? Wondering what the people we should be doing them with are doing?"

Buffy smiled a little sadly "Something like that, yeah" she began to pick at the duvet cover "I just want to be able to walk next door and find my mom there"

Xander reached out and put his hand over hers "I'm sure it'll be soon Buffy. I can't promise but, it's not gonna be forever"

Buffy squeezed his hand back "I'm sure Anya's missing you too"

Xander nodded and sighed, a small smile on his lips "Look at us both" he said "It can only have been a few days and we're already depressing each other"

"That's because we're so in touch with our emotions" Buffy said with a light smile "We're adult". 

Then she hit Xander with a pillow.

Xander glared half-heartedly at her from underneath his hair that had then fallen in his face. "Really". He reached around behind him, getting his own pillow. Xander sat up, brandishing it in his hand. "Buffy Summers. You are so dead"

-------------------

A few miles away, a pale hand emerged from the water of the Thames and caught hold of a slimy and half-rotten mooring rope. A few moments later another hand, red raw and blistered, came from the water and took hold of the rope just above the other hand. The rope was tugged on, the lower hand moving above the scarred one, making the small fishing boat move slightly in the water. Then a woman's head, with almost white hair plastered to it surfaced, it's owners ice blue eyes set with determination. The woman's pale, china doll features were marred with blisters and welts.

She groaned in pain as she began to haul herself up into the boat using the rope, her blistered and raw limbs scraping painfully against the fibreglass hull of the boat. Her clothes were burnt and in the patches where there was no cloth, burned skin was visible. 

Finally she fell limply onto the floor of the boat; one leg still hooked a little over the edge. Her head lolled to one side as she took deep breaths she really didn't need. Her eyes closed and unintelligible words fell from between her lips as she lay there trying to gather some strength to move again.

After a while she opened her eyes and glanced up at the sky. It was getting close to sunrise, she could feel it. She had to move. 

In one big effort she pushed herself up, holding onto the side of the boat for support. She took hold of the mooring rope again, putting hand over fist again, slowly pulling herself closer and closer towards the shore. Eventually she made it and clambered over the side of the boat onto the wooden walkway. She stayed and gathered herself for a moment, knowing that she had to keep moving. Had to keep moving find somewhere dark to stay so she could get better. She had to get better so she could find the little bitch that tried to fry her.

And get revenge.

-------------------

When Buffy next awoke the next morning it was because 'Walking on Sunshine' was coming from the radio alarm at the opposite end of the bed. She groaned sleepily and pushed herself up and towards the offending radio and turned it off, also noting that Xander wasn't at his end of the bed. Figuring that he was around somewhere, Buffy just snuggled back down into bed again.

She had only dozed for a few minutes when she heard the door open and quiet footsteps on the floorboards. They eye that wasn't on the side of her face pressed into the pillow, opened a little and Buffy peered out from underneath her lashes. She was immediately greeted with the sight of a half naked Xander, obviously fresh from a shower; a towel was wrapped around his waist and damp hair that refused to stay slicked back fell around his face.

Buffy stayed still but her eye fluttered open just a little bit more. //OK. I can honestly say I've woken up to worse things//. Buffy continued to look on as Xander padded over to the wardrobe and rummaged through, pulling out some jeans. //And he never had *all* of those muscles before did he?//. Buffy paused in her thoughts. //What the hell am I doing? I am not supposed to be looking at half-naked best friends. I should be closing my eye now. Really. Maybe I should just mention to him that his towel is slipping//.

"Hot damn!"

Xander jumped at Sean's exclamation and luckily (or unfortunately - depending on who you were) caught the towel before it completely fell off his hips and revealed anything too private.

"Jeez!" Xander exclaimed, readjusting his towel "Don't *do* that!"

"Make you jump or ogle you?" Sean asked innocently.

"*Both*"

Buffy groaned loudly and sleepily, pretending they had just woken her. "Do you two mind?"

"He started it" Xander muttered "He shot an accusing look at Sean as he started searching through the chest of drawers for some clean underwear "And I bet you did it on purpose"

Buffy sat up and pushed hair out of her face, glancing at Sean who immediately became fascinated in looking out of the window. Buffy rolled her eyes and looked back to Xander who now stood clutching a pair of jeans and some briefs "I see you found the shower then?" she said.

"I woke up early and went for a wander" Xander told her as he headed back towards the door "I'm gonna change in the bathroom and head down to the kitchen. Find some food for us both"

Buffy smiled gratefully "Make sure it's loaded with sugar" she said "I have to have energy to work"

Xander gave her a quick nod and then headed out. Buffy looked back to Sean who was still looking out of the window. "Sean, why *are* you here? I thought you weren't dropping back until ten" she pointed towards the clock "It's only nine *and* if it was just to see Xander in a towel, then you have to find a new hobby"

"But I *like* this hobby"

"So you have absolutely nothing new for us then?"

"One of the guys fished something out of the files for this leap last night" Sean told her "It could be something, we don't know. There some reports a couple of months later from the fire stations that had crews attend the blaze here. They were visited by some type of investigators, wanting to talk to the crews that were here that night and if they saw anything they thought was out of the ordinary. They weren't reporters so we had them plugged as official investigators. Maybe insurance. But we found out that no one actually instigated an insurance claim for the building. Not even May's parents"

"What about relatives of the other kids?"

Sean shook his head firmly "We can't find out who these guys were. They may very well be legit, but we don't know for sure. Just some more stuff for you to look out for I'm afraid" 

-------------------

After having a shower and dressing, Buffy finally wandered into the kitchen about half an hour later. It was a little bigger than she had expected and also fairly clean. There was a big table in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by a few high stools. Xander sat on one of them; staring into a half-eaten bowl of cereal and was poking at it with his spoon.

"Are you expecting it to do something?" she asked lightly, taking the stool next to him.

Xander glanced across at her "Lost my appetite a bit" he said, "I couldn't find anything loaded with sugar either". He went back to staring at his bowl.

Buffy frowned "Are you OK?"

Xander sighed and let his spoon drop with a clang into the bowl and handed Buffy the folded up newspaper that was just in front of him. "Look at the date"

Buffy looked at the paper for a few moments in silence before turning back to Xander. "But this means… it must be only-"

"A day after we first leapt. In real time"

Buffy stayed still for a while, taking in the news before sitting back down next to him "Sean… Sean never said anything"

"Guess he didn't want it to affect whatever we do here" Xander bitterly "Man, I can't believe he didn't tell us"

"Maybe he couldn't" Buffy tried to reason it out "Like, he wasn't allowed or something"

Xander sighed "Yeah. Maybe". He looked across at Buffy "We're also only a plane ride home"

Buffy looked into his eyes and knew what he was thinking. But they couldn't go home. Not like they were, with different faces and bodies. No matter how much they wanted to. Buffy swivelled to face him a little more and put a hand on his arm "But we've got a responsibility here as well now" she said gently.

"I know" Xander said quietly.

"Bloody hell" a new voice interrupted them both "What up with you two? You look somebody just forced you to watch Live and Kicking"

Buffy and Xander looked towards the kitchen doorway to see a young Indian girl looking at them both. She had sounded amused at first but seeing the looks on their faces, a small frown settled on her pretty face. "Look, if it's something bad" she said "Just tell me to piss off and I'll go"

Buffy gave the girl a brief smile "No. It's fine" Buffy took her hand off Xander's arm "Really. We're OK"

The girl still looked at them a little oddly as Xander went back to poking at his cereal. "OK then" she said to Buffy, going to the refrigerator "Anyway, I was only seeing if Kez has left any fruit juice"

"Sorry Judith". Mint, the tall, wiry guy with the long black hair who had been out with them last night, had now appeared in the kitchen doorway. He spoke with a thick Irish accent "There's sod all in there" Mint sat on one of the stools opposite Buffy and Xander "Gerry 'n Sal have gone down Tesco's though"

"Well in that case" Judith said "I'm going to watch that Hollyoaks omnibus I taped yesterday and ogle Ben and Luke" and she headed out of the kitchen, casting another odd look at Xander as she went.

Mint looked over at them "What's up your arse?" he asked Xander, who glanced up at him "I'm not spendin' the next couple of hours with ya looking like that mate". Mint rolled his eyes when Xander looked puzzled "Fixing the fence?"

"Oh… yeah" Xander tried to sound a little more focused "Sorry. I think I'm still half-asleep"

"I think I wore him out" Buffy added with a sly smile, attempting to keep up the 'couple' act.

Xander shot her a look "Thank you *honey* for sharing that"

Buffy smiled sweetly back at him "Ah, but you love me really"

"The light of my life" Xander replied, his voice laced with sarcasm for Mint's benefit. Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. Xander couldn't stop a genuine smile from gracing his lips.

"See mate" Mint said, "A smile from your bird is all you needed"

-------------------

It hadn't taken long to fix the fence, no more than an hour. During that time he'd spent with Mint (but still not knowing why he was called that), Xander had been able to gain some more information about the place and the people by asking subtle questions or making deliberate mistakes and being corrected.

And now Xander was left alone as Mint had gone back inside to "worship Richard and Judy", Xander wasn't quite sure where he should start first. He really didn't want to go back inside because he might get roped into another task but he didn't want to stay outside either. Xander looked up at the sky; he had never seen so many clouds and in that many shades of grey.

It was humid too. //Freaky British weather//. He pushed damp hair back off his forehead and began to walk back to the house. //Maybe if I sneak in, I can get a drink and then decided what to do//. Xander almost walked past the shed before he remembered what Sean had said. //Weapons//.

Xander backtracked. The shed was pretty average as sheds went; wooden with four walls and a roof. It also had a sturdy padlock on the door. //Nothing a good lock picking won't cure, but-// Xander looked around //It's gonna seem odd if anyone is watching me, seeing that I should know where the key is//. Xander cupped his hands around his eyes and peered through the window.

Xander could make out a few things hanging up on the wall - another, slightly less new crossbow; two small air pellet guns; two small harpoon guns; and leaning up against the wall were a few long, hand sharpened wooden spears. On a table in a darker corner of the shed stood two crates, but Xander couldn't quite make out what they held, if they held anything at all.

Xander sighed and stood back. //Great. If they're all out here and in the shed when the bad guys come, then they'll be fine//. A stereo started up as Xander began to head back towards the house. Xander looked up to the open window it was blaring out of and saw Kez waving at him.

"Hey, Coop!" Kez leant out of the third storey window and yelled down at him "Love the no shirt look!" she grinned "You busy?!"

Xander sighed again. //Well, Sean did say we had a week//.

-------------------

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(Later that evening)

Xander had only vacated his seat on the comfy sofa for a few minutes to grab a coffee, when he came back to find Buffy in his place, sprawling over it on her stomach, her face pressed into a cushion and one arm dangling so her fingers brushed the floor.

Xander set his coffee down on top of the television and couched down next to her. "Um, Buff?" he said softly "Are you OK?"

"Mmm hmm" Buffy mumbled into the cushion "Tired" she yawned to prove her point "Some one called in sick and it was busy". Buffy moved her head to look at him "Sean kept me company for a while. He'll be around later"

"OK. But just so you know" Xander smiled " I'm not carrying you upstairs"

"M'okay" Buffy said "Just need to lie here for the next… five hours or so"

Xander sat cross-legged on the floor "Have you eaten?"

Buffy nodded "Burger King right next door. I got good tips" Buffy moved her dangling arm towards the door, indicating a large bag "Got present for you too"

Xander fetched it and sat back down again. He looked inside and his eyes widened "Oh. My. God" he looked back at Buffy "It's not a trick one right? This is actually real?"

Buffy pushed herself up a little and smiled at him "I expect you to share"

"Pfft" Xander pulled out the item "You think I'm sharing" he read the package "One point seven kilograms-" Xander looked back up at her "-of Dairy Milk with you?"

"Believe me" she said "I can, and *will* make you". Buffy smiled again "OK, put it down now, 'cos I've got something else for you as well"

Xander reluctantly put the massive chocolate bar to one side "You think you can do better than this?"

"Xander, just shut up and close your eyes"

Xander pulled a face at her but closed his eyes. "Does this mean I have to get you something now?" he said, forgetting about the shutting up part of Buffy's request "Because I'll tell you now-" Xander stopped mid sentence when Buffy kissed him in the middle of his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked back at her "Uh… huh?"

"That was to say thank you for saving the world" Buffy told him "Better than the slap I gave you last time huh?" she grinned.

//Ah, the bomb thing//. Xander held her gaze and grinned back at her "Much"

Buffy somehow managed a mixture of a yawn and a smile as she sat upright, shifting over on the sofa to make room for Xander while he retrieved his coffee. That was until he sat down and she turned and put her feet up on his lap. Buffy gave him an innocent look "It's not like I'm heavy" she said, snuggling back into the cushions. "So… are you and the girl who let me in, the only ones here?"

"Oh, that was Gerry" Xander replied "And yeah. Apparently they like to have at least two people here whenever they can. I think mainly just to let the others back in though. The rest have all gone down to some pub" he explained "I thought I'd better stay for when you get back" 

Buffy smiled warmly "Thanks"

Xander smiled back "So, do you want to hear about my day?"

Buffy pouted "Is there any chance you could tell me after you've rubbed my feet?". She sighed when Xander gave her a firm look. "OK. Tell me about you day"

"I've made notes" Xander told her "Places where weapons could be stored, what repairs to the building we need to make it more secure that sort of thing. Also, there are about fifteen people living here at the moment that I've counted so far and that's including us. There were twelve of us out last night"

Buffy looked at him; impressed "Sounds like you've been as busy as me" she said "You got a good look around the place then?"

Xander nodded "I helped Kez move some stuff earlier" he explained "Explored the place a bit more. Also, I found the key to the weapons shed after a good deal of searching. You ought to check it out, they've got some good stuff" Xander paused, thinking "Uh… I haven't been up to the attic and the roof yet, but that's on the agenda tomorrow and I might see if I have time to check out the basement. Also," he continued "I think it might be a good idea if we kind find out what kind of hand to hand skills the people here have. Maybe you could give some of them pointers, 'cos you seem to be still with the Slayer moves" Xander took a breath "Actually maybe Sean could find that out for us. Also, we need to figure out the places it'd be best to have weapons handy in case of attack. There's plenty of wood at the back of the garden I can use. I'm going to speak to Foster tomorrow. He seems more approachable than May. They should be OK with it though, it's for their own good after all"

Buffy blinked and stared back at him. "… I'm going to be waiting a while for you to rub my feet, aren't I?"

-------------------

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(Three days later)

As it turned out, Xander had had to approach May as Foster had taken off in the early hours of the following morning to go Manchester. May had listened to him, but had also told Xander that he had to provide her with evidence of his idea before she would stump up any money from the group's slush fund.

Xander was grateful for the career he had outside leaping.

Now on his fourth day here, Xander was now currently finishing off his fifth creation. He'd been making small "cabinet come chest type things", as May called them, which were to go under the windows. They weren't any bigger than a metre across and half a metre deep, but they were adequate enough for their purpose and Xander was going to put wheels (which were the only things he'd ended up buying) on the bottom before they were filled so that they could be moved about if needed.

Xander sighed as he knocked the last but one nail into one of the joints. And it'd been easier if there'd been someone to give him a hand. It had been one thing for May to give him some money for supplies, but trying to find someone to help was a bit more of a problem. Xander had found that the British had their Gods and they were named Richard and Judy, and that dragging an unemployed/student Brit away from daytime TV would inevitably lead to bloodshed.

And Buffy wasn't around either. His little blonde friend had been at work all hours, not wanting to lose Donna her job. Buffy was coming home tired and any free time that she did manage to snag was spent trying to convince the others in the house that Sean had identified, to practice some self-defence moves with her. So far Buffy had only managed to interest Gerry (a small, brunette girl that barely spoke) and Louis (a tall, acne ridden guy, who Xander suspected was only taking part because he liked Donna).

It had only been a short space of time, but since they'd been thrown together in the leaping thing, Xander had realised that he hadn't spent as much time with Buffy before they'd leapt as he'd thought. Now that they were practically twenty-four hours of the day together, Xander was been enjoying it. The fact that he wasn't in this alone and with someone who would crack in a crisis, made it easier to get through without constantly think about what they'd been forced to leave behind. 

And since finding out that they were practically in the same time and date zone as all the people they cared about, both of them had been finding it tough. At one point Buffy had literally had to prise a telephone out of Xander's hand to stop him from calling home. Even without the Slayer strength, Buffy could still be tough. Xander had appreciated it in the end. He knew that it probably would have made things worse.

So Xander told himself once again not to think about it and carried on with his work, wondering when Buffy was going to get home this evening.

-------------------

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(Later that evening)

Buffy entered the bedroom she was currently sharing with Xander, towelling her hair dry. She had just showered and then changed after another long, hard day waiting on people in a busy restaurant that had broken air conditioning. So far, Buffy was not having fun on this leap. 

When Buffy saw that Xander was still in the same position in which she'd left him half an hour ago - sitting on the floor, surrounded by odds and end of wood as he worked on a rack to put into one of the cabinets he'd been working on. Buffy sighed and tossed the damp towel on the bed. "Xander, I thought you were going to stop that"

Xander didn't look up "I'm nearly done"

Buffy stood beside him "You said that half an hour ago". Buffy crouched down and put her hand over Xander's, stopping him as he was sanding down some of the edges of the wood. "Xander, you've been working all day"

Xander shook her hand off "So?"

Buffy put her hand back over his more firmly this time "*Xander*"

He looked up at her "Buffy, I'm trying to finish this"

"And you can finish it tomorrow" Buffy sat down next to him, letting go of his hand "I'm pretty sure you've done enough for today" she smiled a little "Come on, you've barely stopped since we've been here"

Xander turned his attention back to his work "That's kinda what I was planning on"

Buffy gave him a puzzled look "What do you mean?" she stopped him yet again "Xander?"

Xander sighed heavily "If I keep busy" he said, "I don't have time to think about anything else. I don't have to think about how easy it would be just to pick up a phone and call my girlfriend, if only just to hear her voice. I want to *so* *bad*, but I *can't* and you really hurt my hand last time and-" Xander broke off. He stopped and closed his eyes, sighing again. "I'm sorry"

"It's OK" Buffy said softly. "Come on" she said, putting a comforting arm around him "Some of the others are going out for a drink. It'll be our chance to buy and drink alcohol legally"

Xander glanced at her, an eyebrow raised slightly "And getting drunk will make everything better?"

Buffy shrugged "That's my plan"

Xander paused briefly. "Good plan"

-------------------

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(Much later that evening and possibly into the next day)

The taxi pulled to a sharp stop just outside the house, causing Buffy to slip forward into Xander's lap. She started giggling as Xander helped her to sit up again. "That was fun" she said in a stage whisper "Can we do that again? Huh? Can we, huh?'. Buffy didn't wait for Xander to answer, turning and pressing her face up against the window separating them from the driver instead. "You are the *best* cab driver *ever*"

"Well thank you very much, luv" the driver called back to her "But I don't s'pose you could pay me as well?"

"I got it" Judith passed some money through the hatch. She opened the door for the others in the taxi; Jake, the black guy who'd been with them that first night and who was also Judith's boyfriend and the other person was Gerry.

Xander helped Buffy out as she seemed to be having a lot of trouble co-ordinating her limbs. Buffy leant against him when she was standing, clutching at his jacket to help her stay upright. "This is fun" she looked up at him, grinning "I'm having fun. Are you having fun? You were supposed to be having fun" she giggled "I'm having fun. I like England. They let you drink when you're eighteen. That's nice"

//Babbling, drunk Buffy. Truly, I don't think I've seen anything cuter for a while// Xander caught her as she stumbled. "Yes, it's very nice" he told her as he helped up yet again "And you can ask me again when we get inside. The others are waiting"

Buffy looked towards the door to the house "Oh are they waiting? I didn't know that. You're very clever for knowing that. I didn't know that. Ooh, we're walking. I like walking. And you're walking too. I told you you were clever"

Xander couldn't help a smile from settling on his lips as Buffy continued to babble as they headed up the short distance where the taxi had left them and the steps to the house. It had been a good evening. Buffy had finally gotten him to relax and he hadn't even drunk that much. Which seemed to have been the best choice as Buffy had discovered something pink called Aftershock and then the others had decided it would be fun to see how many of them they could get her to drink. It had been a lot. Xander would just be glad if she didn't throw up on him.

Buffy slumped a little more against him as they took the first step "Oop, you caught me… that's because you're strong. You have muscles" she giggled "I like muscles. And you're cute. Very cute and muscley… that's nice"

//OK. Maybe I under-estimated how wasted she was//. As Buffy lost more of her balance before she had even made it up the next step, Xander circled an arm around her waist "C'mon, let's just get you to bed, huh?". Xander shot an apologetic look at Jake who was left standing in the doorway waiting.

"But I'm not tired" she whined "I don't want to go to bed. You can't make me y'know. I'm the Chosen One. I have… I have…" Buffy glanced up at him, confused "What do I have?"

"Right at this very moment you have me" Xander replied.

Buffy smiled brightly "Oh yeah"

Xander grinned back "Now move your arse girl, s'freezin' out 'ere"

Buffy burst into fits of giggles again and wriggled out of Xander's hold. She stumbled up the next two steps and leaned against the doorframe, causing Jake to step further back. Buffy turned back to look at Xander "Best I race you indoors then innit?"

Xander folded his arms "Well that's great seeing as how you've technically won"

"That's a pity" a low female voice came out of the shadows behind him "Because I'd love to see how fast you can run"

Xander spun around to see a figure stepping out from the dark cover of the trees; a mirthless laugh came floating across with her. Xander began to back up the steps. Even without her game face and the fact that her white hair was now shorter, Xander could recognise her as the vampire they thought had gone into the river a few nights ago.

"Hey, didn't we kill her?" Buffy frowned; she turned to Jake "I thought Kez killed her"

Jake's eyes widened and he pulled Buffy inside with him "Coop! Move it!

Xander briefly met the vampire's eyes before he turned and prepared to bolt up the remaining steps. He'd barely moved though before he was suddenly tackled from the side by something large.

Xander landed on the hard concrete with a painful thud and found a big, angry looking male vampire pinning him to the ground. Had he not been winded by his painful landing, and definitely suffering from bruised ribs and possibly broken ones, Xander was pretty sure he could have come up with a quip for the occasion.

The female vampire stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Jake who was trying to decide whether he should close the door or go and help his friend whilst at the same time trying to hold a tiny blonde girl back. 

The vampire smiled sweetly at Jake as her accomplice hauled Xander to his feet by his throat. "I just thought I'd stop by and say hi" she said, walking up a couple of steps "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill any of you. Pete here might. He seems quite taken with the pretty boy there" she jerked her thumb back towards where Xander was struggling, being held off the ground by the huge vampire "Perhaps I should mention he likes it when they try and fight back". 

She laughed again when she saw Buffy trying to get past Jake, but Buffy's intoxicated state meant she was making little headway "I see his little girlfriend is getting worried. That is so sweet"

"What the hell… do you… want then?" Xander managed to choke out. He tried kicking at the big vampire's midsection but it had no effect except make the vampire grip on his throat stronger. He glanced over at Buffy, who he could just see behind Jake, but he began to lose focus as more and more black spots began to appear infront of his eyes.

"Pete, put him down" the female vampire instructed "I want to talk to him"

Xander hit the ground hard again, his shoulder taking most of the brunt and Xander knew it had been dislocated. He didn't have much time to think about the pain when he was hauled to his feet again. Not by his neck this time but by his collar. Xander looked into ice blue eyes. Closer up he could see that the female vampire would have been beautiful if her face wasn't marred by healing burn marks and still slightly raw welts. Her hair was singed in some places along her hairline, showing patches of pale scalp. And she did not look happy.

"What I'm planning to do little man, is leave this fucking group a present for being so nice to me the other night" she grinned evilly "Looks like you'll do just fine"

"Hey, put him down you bitch!" Buffy's voice came out loud and clear. She had stamped hard on Jake's foot and got past him and had been about to run down the steps when Pete stood infront of her, not attacking her, just holding her back.

The vampire morphed into her game face "Get past him and make me then!" she called back "I thought this little gang were bloody fighters!". She pulled Xander closer, gripping hold of his dislocated shoulder tightly, making Xander cry out in pain "Maybe I should introduce myself seeing as how your friends can't seem to find their arse from their elbow at the moment. I'm Marion. You?"

"Robin Hood" Xander spat back.

"Oh because I haven't heard that one before" Marion's voice dripped with sarcasm "You think you're funny? Well try this-" she grabbed hold of Xander's hair, pulling his head to one side "-for funny" she finished before sinking her fangs into his neck.

Unless he counted the time he'd been blown up, Xander had never been in so much pain. Marion was twisting his dislocated shoulder as she fed from him, her fangs tearing through his flesh. Xander's anguish got caught in his throat as he found himself getting weaker with every gulp of his blood that spilled down Marion's throat. Those black spots were dancing infront of his eyes again and he slumped against the vampire. Xander clutched weakly at the sleeves of her leather jacket and he could hear Buffy calling his name from what sounded like far away.

And her voice got further and further away as the only things he became able to hear was the loud rushing sound of his life being taken away and the thump of his heart getting slower and slower… and then suddenly he was sinking.

Xander's eyes closed as the pain neck lessened and although his shoulder still hurt, it was no longer being twisted. Xander hit the floor hard though. Again. He could feel the cold, damp concrete against his cheek and then a sudden wet splash of raindrops against the other. Xander briefly heard Buffy's voice floating around him and then everything went black.

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(Next day: mid-morning)

Xander's fluttered open a tiny fraction. Even then everything was too bright. Hospital lights. Xander shut his eyes again "Ow"

"Xan?". There was the sound of a hopeful, but tired, female voice from beside him.

"Ow" he said again hoarsely.

Buffy almost collapsed with relief. "Oh, thank God" she clutched at his forearm (the one that wasn't now in a sling) and scooted forward in her seat "Oh, you had me so worried"

Xander allowed his eyes to open a fraction once again and peered at her from underneath his lashes. "Ow"

Buffy let go of his arm. "My hand or the holes in your neck?"

"No, *ow* and also… shoulder". Xander tried to smile a little but failed. Smiling hurt. 

Buffy smiled sympathetically "But you're not dead" she pointed out.

"Apparently not" Xander paused, looking at her more fully now "Why not?"

Buffy's smile faded a little "You were just a warning"

"She couldn't have sent a card?" suddenly there was another voice in the room.

"Sean" Buffy shot a warning look him.

"Sorry" 

Xander turned his head a little to look at the other man "Hey Sean"

"Hey" Sean gave him a smile "Was getting blown up by a car bomb not exciting enough for you?"

Xander picked up the concern under the light tone "I'm OK man. I think it's just the hospital bed that's killing me now and not the undead"

Buffy took hold of his hand again "But it nearly was. That's one hangover cure I certainly don't want to try again" Buffy paused "She left you on the brink and then left with the other guy. And that's one pissed off vampire that you know will be back for more"

Xander closed his eyes, swallowing hard to ease his suddenly dry throat "What about the others?" he asked.

"It was just us who were in the cab and two others that were in the house" Buffy replied "By the time anyone else realised what was happening and got there…" Buffy trailed off, dropping her gaze "I'm sorry" she whispered softly "I tried to help-"

"Buff don't" Xander looked at her, a firm expression on his face "Don't"

"Buffy" Sean added "That vamp guy was huge. He would have splattered you"

"And splattered Buffy is never good" Xander replied, smiling a little and getting a small one back off Buffy. Then Xander's expression changed into a painful wince "Broken ribs as well yeah?"

Buffy nodded "Two. And a lot of bruised ones"

"Which brings us to another point" Sean looked at Xander "Can you walk?"

"Huh?"

"The doctors were real interested in the fang marks " Buffy explained, glancing around quickly "I don't think they bought the big dog story" she paused "And vampires can get into hospitals. I… I don't want you here"

Xander saw the worry in her eyes. He sighed. "OK. How long can I stay here before I really have to go?"

"The nurse is coming to check back soon" Sean told him "I suggest you try still being unconscious when she does. We'll see after that"

Buffy looked at Sean "Sounds good" she looked back to Xander "I'm going to find a bathroom and be back for the nurse OK?" Buffy gave Xander's hand a squeeze as she got up "I won't be long"

Xander gave a brief smile as she left. Sean followed her out of the small side ward and came to walk alongside her.

He cleared his throat "You didn't tell him"

"No" Buffy replied quietly and continued along the corridor.

Sean stopped and watched after her for a couple of seconds before going back to Xander.

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(Later that evening)

"I should think it's a *bloody* good reason!" Buffy folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at May "My boyfriend nearly *died*! You can't just *ignore* that!" Buffy uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips "None of us are going to be safe unless we *deal* with this!"

"Safe?!" May matched Buffy's glare "You wanna talk about safe Donna?! Why the hell couldn't you have left Cooper in the hospital? So the police wanted to ask him some questions. You could have just said 'Big guy, big dog'! " May sighed exasperatedly "Cooper is sick and *now*, this vampire that was *supposed* to have been *dust*" she shot a look at Kez "Is supposedly threatening us"

"What I want is for you lot to realise that this isn't a game!" Buffy said "Do you really think that it's just vampires that are out there? There are more monsters out there than you'll ever want to know about! What you guys-what we are doing is just the tip of *really* big iceberg!"

"And when did you suddenly become the expert?!"

"Ladies please" Mint stood between the two glowering women "Just calm down OK? This is not makin' tings any better"

"Damn right it's not" Buffy said harshly "And it's not going to get better until everyone realises just how much danger we're facing". Buffy met May's look "I've told you what I wanted you to know and what I want you to understand. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on my boyfriend"

With that, Buffy swept out of the room and thumped her way up the stairs. She flung open the door to her and Xander's room and let it slam shut. Only too late to realise that it would wake Xander. Which it did. He yawned heavily and groaned a little in pain.

"I'msorry-I'msorry" Buffy said hurriedly and giving him an apologetic look "I'll be quiet, I promise. Just… just go back to sleep"

With his one good arm, Xander gingerly pushed himself up and lay back against the pillows Buffy had propped there earlier "With all the stress waves I'm getting from you" Xander replied sleepily "I can't see that happening" he paused, studying her "You wanna talk about it?"

Buffy shook her head "Thanks, but no. I'll get loud and-and yell and I don't want to yell anymore. Not at you anyway" she paused, looking concerned "How are you?"

"Sore" Xander replied truthfully "But I'm learning to live through the pain"

Buffy's brow furrowed "You didn't smoke that stuff Gerry gave you, did you?"

"No, but I'm beginning to wish I had" Xander winced again, putting his hand briefly to his ribs.

Buffy sat by him on the bed "I shouldn't have got you to leave the hospital" she said "Maybe May was right. I mean look at you, you're hurting. All your ribs are all broken and bruised and all taped up and your shoulder was really, really bad and-and-". Buffy's voice began to get caught in her throat "Y-you have h-holes where you shouldn't" she sniffled "And-and I can't do anything and no one will-" Buffy broke off when she felt tears brimming and her shoulders began to shake "No one listens to me". She put a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob "And I feel so useless". Buffy gave up trying to hold everything in "I'm sorry" she sobbed "I… I hate… this"

"Buffy, please stop it" Xander said, trying to comfort her but he couldn't reach "Please. I hate it when you cry. You're not useless, OK?" he held out his hand to her, his own voice starting to get thicker with emotion as he watched fat tears roll down her cheeks "Come here. Buff, please"

Buffy tried to scrub away some tears with the heel of her palm "I can't" she said between sobs "Y-you're… all hurt-" Buffy sniffed "- 'n stuff"

"I'm pretty sure I can spare my non-dislocated shoulder for you "

"S-sure?"

Xander nodded, a flicker of a smile appearing "Just don't snuggle"

Buffy let out a small, strangled laugh before nestling herself as gently as she could against Xander, resting her head against his uninjured shoulder. Xander's arm fell across her shoulders and down her back and he could feel her sobbing quietly against him. Xander kissed the top of her head softly.

"If I could still slay" she tried to hold back her tears "If I'd slayed those two vamps last night. Then they'd listen. They'd know I knew what I was talking about. At least a little bit" Buffy sniffed "Wouldn't they?"

"Sure they would"

Buffy was silent for a couple of moments. "Thank you" she whispered finally, her tears waning "I just…"

Xander reached up and began to brush his fingers over her hair "Just what?"

"Miss it" Buffy tilted her head up to look at him "It's such a big part of me"

"You really feel that don't you?" Xander replied softly. Buffy looked at him a little confused "What I mean is" he elaborated "You shouldn't just cling to being the Slayer as the only thing you are. Sure it's a big part, but it's not the only thing that makes you, *you*". Xander's hand fell across her shoulders again "Personally, I don't care whether you can fight demons, kill giant snakes or that you can beat the crap out of seven foot trolls. The fact that you're Buffy is enough for me". Xander smiled "And you'll still be my hero too"

Buffy blinked back her remaining tears and stared into his eyes and just for a second Buffy thought she felt… something. Something that made her hold his gaze for just a split second more than she probably should have. Buffy blinked again and dropped her gaze, resting her head against his shoulder once again. 

"Thank you" she said again.

"Anytime"

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(A couple of hours later)

Buffy thumped the can of soup she'd just gotten from the cupboard down onto the kitchen counter top. She'd just had another argument with May. Less heated this time, but still the other girl refused to prepare herself and the others more than they usually did, for when or if the vampire that had nearly killed Xander came back. May refused to believe the vampire's threats were real enough. Buffy couldn't understand that. Had May only been humouring Xander when he wanted to bring more weapons inside?

//I am really getting tired of that girl's attitude//. Buffy began to twist the can-opener as aggressively as she could around the can. "Why can't she understand that things can't go back to normal?" Buffy muttered "I bet if it was bloody Foster, we'd be at the bloody windows with all sorts of bloody weapons waiting for the little vampire bitch to come back and *God* when did I start swearing like a Brit?". Buffy threw the can opener across the counter top when it had finished its job. 

Buffy began to empty the soup into the waiting saucepan, becoming more agitated and irritated when it didn't come immediately. She slammed the can into the saucepan and thumped it down a couple more times for good measure until enough of the soup came out.

Then the gas wouldn't ignite. When matches weren't immediately available, Buffy kicked the oven door. "*Stupid*, *stupid* thing! Why won't you work!". Buffy picked up the saucepan, complete with soup and started hitting the top of the cooker, raising the pan high and slamming down hard. "Come on!" her words became punctuated with the sound of metal on metal "What the hell is wrong with you. What? Didn't I say please?!". Soup began to splatter her and the kitchen as she continued to attack the defenceless appliance, all the time trying to hold back tears that threatened to fall again.

Then someone grabbed hold of her wrist and Buffy spun around, almost hitting them with the pan with the other hand.

Mint raised his hand in time to grab hold of the pan. "*Hey*. Come on Donna. Calm down"

Buffy let him take the pan from her and he set it down on the counter. "It wouldn't work" she said weakly "I couldn't…" Buffy trailed off, looking around at the kitchen before looking back at Mint "I was trying to heat soup"

Mint looked at the cooker "Never tried to do it that way meself. Plus, I think you pretty much killed the oven, so…" he looked back at her "Tell me, whose face did ya see on it?"

Buffy's shoulders slumped and she turned away from Mint to sit on one of the stools around the kitchen table. Buffy stared intently at the fake wood grain of the table top in silence for a little while before speaking, her voice barely audible. "His heart stopped twice in the ambulance" was all she said.

"I didn't know" Mint replied. He sat on the stool next to her "Does he?"

Buffy just shook her head.

Mint sighed "I won't tell him" he said "Not if you don't want me to". When Buffy didn't say anything, he carried on "Y'know it wasn't May's fault that he got hurt. She wasn't even there" Mint hesitated "And she does have a point"

Buffy looked at him "Am I the only sane one here?"

"Donna, you just tried to murder the cooker" he pointed out gently "And, I wasn't finished". He rested one arm on the table "Donna, May has a point because…" Mint started again "To put it one way, we're not the sort of people you can lock in a shed with a MIG welder, a car chassis, an outboard motor and a small aubergine and expect us to come up with some almighty vampire crushing machine. That's not us"

"But I don't want an almighty vampire crushing machine" Buffy replied "I just want May to know that we're in some real danger here. And you're right. She wasn't even there. But then that means she has no idea of what exactly went on. That vamp was serious" she paused briefly "Mint, there are vampires and there are vampires" Buffy said "You get your stupid ones and you get the ones who get a few big kills and think they're the big bad. And then you get the ones who are, the ones who are cold and calculating and want to end the world" Buffy stopped when Mint raised an eyebrow. "I'm not crazy" she said, "I know it sounds like it, and there is oven evidence, but I'm not crazy"

"And you think that this vampire is one of the clever ones?"

Buffy wasn't quite sure whether he was humouring her, but she answered anyway. "Maybe. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what she was doing" Buffy paused "Sometimes you just get a feeling"

"You're really stuck on this aren't you?"

"I just want everyone to be careful. It's not safe out there in the evening. She found out where we were living for God's sake and I'm *sitting* in *here* attacking the damn *oven*" Buffy began to get frustrated again, getting up and pacing "When I *should* be watching out for her with a *big*, *pointy*, wooden *stick* in my hand"

Mint watched her for a moment before her sighed "Alright"

Buffy looked at him, frowning "Alright what?"

"You have a point too" he told her "We're not careful enough here. I mean, I know at least two other ways to get in here not using the front door for a start" Mint stood up and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her pacing "An' I also want to get the bitch who made a mess of me mate"

Buffy looked up at him "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, d'ya want a hand with the big pointy sticks or not?"

-------------------

__

(Next evening)

Buffy rested her hand on the windowsill as she looked out into the ever-darkening evening sky. She glanced down at the driveway, which had been illuminated by fairy lights strung from the trees, hoping that they would provide enough light to stop anyone using the trees as camouflage. But no one had been.

Buffy had her own holographic projection guy to tell her that. Sean was able to lock himself on to just Buffy to make his range stretch a little wider, enabling him to check further outside. But Sean hadn't been able to detect anything so far. No vampires, not any kind of demon, bad guy or anything. It didn't make Buffy feel any easier. 

That's why she still stood on the third storey landing looking out of the small round window, a loaded crossbow by her feet that waited to be picked up and used when Sean let her know that something was amiss.

And the time ticked on. It got darker and rain began to pelt against the window, making it more difficult for Buffy to see. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Kez.

The short, dark haired girl was holding two steaming mugs of coffee in her hands. Kez smiled a little awkwardly at Buffy as she held out one of the mugs towards her. "May thinks you're crazy"

Buffy took the coffee "I know" she took a sip of the black liquid "I don't think she's pleased that Mint's taken it up as well"

"Yeah, she had a few choice words t'say about that, I'll tell ya" Kez grinned "She thought I was nuts too"

Buffy's eyes widened in happy surprise "You mean you wanna… oh, Kez thanks"

Kez shrugged nonchalantly "Well y'know me. Always up for a spot of violence. Bit of vigilantism an' all that" she grinned again when she saw Buffy's slight frown "Joke. Alrighty then. Where d'ya want me boss-lady?" Kez saluted Buffy exaggeratedly "Want me to go find Mint?"

"Uh, actually can you take over for me while I go check on Cooper?"

"I get the cross-bow?" Kez's face lit up.

Buffy smiled "Sure"

"Cool" Kez said as she and Buffy swapped places "Point and shoot, right?"

"Pretty much" Buffy called over her shoulder as she left. Buffy knew that Sean would alert her as soon as there was any danger, but it helped that there were now others who wanted to take her seriously. Mint was downstairs and he'd half convinced two others (Sal and Louis) that they should take up some sort of guard/watch post and now there was Kez and Buffy couldn't really fault her enthusiasm.

And Buffy knew that Xander was with her as well, even thought he was still laid up in bed, he'd told her he was with her in spirit. Buffy just wished that he was more of a physical presence at the moment, she missed having him to talk to.

Quietly, Buffy opened the door to their room. She left it slightly ajar when she saw in the soft white glow from the bedside lamp that Xander was asleep. Buffy couldn't blame him, it was nearly midnight. Asleep was something she wanted to be as well. Buffy sat by his side and just watched him in silence for a little while, listening to Xander's slightly laboured breathing, not really thinking about anything in particular, just content to watch him sleep. Buffy absently reached over and brushed some of his hair off his forehead.

After a few more minutes, Buffy got up and padded softly over to the window. It was still raining. Buffy sighed inwardly and began to head out of the room. Once out on the landing, Sean materialised infront of her, making her jump.

"Anything?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Sean shook his head "Not even a vicious looking squirrel". He began to walk alongside side her as she headed towards the front of the building. "Y'know he's pretty when he's sleeping isn't he?". Sean saw Buffy roll her eyes. "I'm serious" he continued "He just looks so untroubled. Just ordinary-guy-like"

Buffy glanced across at Sean as she reached the window that looked out towards the front. "Didn't I tell you that you needed a new hobby?" she whispered, smiling a little.

"I'm just looking" Sean reminded her gently "Are you going to stay up all night?"

Buffy shrugged and turned her gaze to the dark night outside "Maybe" she paused "I just want to feel like I'm doing something"

Sean stood by her side "You *are*" he paused for a moment and sighed "I'm just sorry I can't help more. With this whole thing being so unpredictable…" Sean trailed off again, looking across at Buffy who met his look "It makes it more difficult" he checked 'Gizmo' "And with this place getting burnt sometime in the future it, uh, doesn't… umm… huh" Sean looked up at Buffy, puzzled, then looked back down again "I'm just gonna-" he looked up again "I'll be two ticks, OK?"

Buffy didn't have a chance to reply. She didn't have to. Sean was gone for literally two seconds before he was back.

"So, uh, what's up?" Buffy asked.

"Well I think it's good news" Sean replied "But, also *not* because you haven't leapt". Buffy looked expectantly at him and he continued "Well the house doesn't burn down anymore. We got some more info. Uh, turns out it was actually a gas explosion - a faulty connection on the oven. Someone didn't turn the gas off, it built up and someone flicked on a light switch and kaboom" Sean cleared his throat "But as someone broke the cooker, leaving it completely useless…" he trailed off, looking meaningfully at Buffy.

"You mean because I had a complete spaz attack, I stopped everyone dying from a horrible fiery death"

"Pretty much"

"Go me" Buffy grinned.

"But it also means that you have to stop this Marion vamp chick to get you and Xander leaping out of here"

Buffy stopped grinning. "Bugger it"

"Y'know, you've been here way too long"

"Tell me about it"

-------------------

Discounting the night Xander had been attacked, it had been three whole days and three nights that Buffy had spent trying to balance having to do enough hours at the restaurant so Donna didn't get sacked, spending the majority of the night prowling around the house ever alert for any danger that Sean might miss outside and trying to get more people to understand that there was real danger. The others were proving a little difficult to convince that everything couldn't go on as normal.

Right now, at about ten o'clock on the fourth day of Operation 'Let's See How Much We Can get Buffy To Do', Buffy was having a well-deserved hot beverage as she sat infront of the TV. 

Then a backpack landed on the floor by her feet and the sofa suddenly dipped under the weight of another person. Buffy turned her head to see Foster. He had barely been around since she and Xander had first been here, always flitting off to different parts of the country.

"Hey" Foster greeted her "May tells me you been busy"

//Yeah, I'll just bet she has//. "Probably told you that she thinks I'm nuts too" Buffy went back to staring blankly at the TV.

"You can't blame her"

Buffy snorted "See how much I don't care"

"Donna, you want to form some sort of vigilante group but you don't want to go outside with it. *Hmm*" There was sarcasm in his voice "I can see how *that* would work"

Buffy glared at him "It'll work fine" she said through gritted teeth "I'm not asking for a lot. Just that people co-operate and take care"

Foster smirked "Well thanks for that Xena wannabe". He grabbed his bag and got up "Well I hope you have a *fun* day at work". Foster went to leave the room but found Xander blocking his way. "Hey. So… how's the neck?"

Xander gazed stonily at him "Sore"

"Well, it's, uh, good to see you up and about"

"Isn't it" Xander said flatly, moving aside to let Foster through. Xander glared at the back of his head before he went and sat down next to Buffy. "Morning" he nudged his knee against hers.

"Morning" Buffy gave him a smile which then faded a little "I have him on my asshole list now" Buffy paused briefly "You couldn't have got dressed?"

"You try putting on pants with an arm in a sling and painful ribs" Xander defended himself wearing only boxer shorts. "Anyway" he settled back into the soft cushions of the sofa "The TV is down here" Xander paused "Are you really OK about what that idiot just said?"

Buffy saw Xander looking at her with concern. "I'm fine" she reassured him "He's ignorable" Buffy shrugged "And at least May is now just letting me get on with things". Buffy sank back into the sofa and watching the TV screen as Xander flicked through the digital channels "Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"Please don't ask me to help you put your pants on"

-------------------

__

(Later that evening)

"Are you really sure you should be doing this?" Mint asked Xander. They both sat on high stools borrowed from the kitchen which had now been placed on either side of a window that over looked the back garden. Xander had just grimaced in pain as he leaned back just ever so slightly wrong and set off the pain from his ribs. And in his shoulder.

"I'm OK" Xander was still wincing a little "Just need my trigger finger anyway"

Mint looked at the air rifle that rested on the windowsill "True. But you're really not gonna cause much damage with dat thing are ya?"

"All depends on where I shoot 'em" Xander replied, he turned around gingerly so he was looking out of the window. He picked up the rifle "But I'm just hoping it'll distract them enough for you to get them with the crossbow"

"And I keep tellin' ya that my aim is shite"

"Better than mine" Xander said "I can only just mange the rifle with this sling"

"You and Donna really are a pair aren't ya" Mint gave a little shake of his head and grinned at Xander "An' ya don't seem to mind her taking charge"

Xander was looking out of the window. "She knows what she's doing" he replied. Xander glanced across at Mint "And I notice you don't seem to mind either"

"I not looking to make a move mate" Mint replied a little awkwardly "Plus she's totally into you" Mint finally looked back at Xander "Any eedjit can see that"

-------------------

"Where is she?" Buffy asked. She stood just far enough back from the window, the tip of the crossbow bolt pointed in the direction that Sean insisted that Marion was. "I can't see her" Buffy hissed quietly "Not even with the lights we strung up"

Sean checked his computer "I'm telling you" he said "She *is* down there"

"Well show me then" Buffy hissed again. Sean gave her an odd look. "Go out there" Buffy continued "And jump about around where she is"

"I can only do that if tune myself into just you" he told her "I'll lose track of Xander"

"Xander's fine at the back of the house with Mint" Buffy replied "Just do it will ya?"

"Do what?"

Buffy jumped and turned around to see Sal, one of the other girls in the house, and who she hadn't heard creep up the stairs. "Show herself" Buffy covered quickly, turning her attention back to the window "That vampire's out there"

"How do you know?"

"I just do" Buffy replied, trying to look for Sean as he had disappeared from beside her "Call it instinct"

"Riiight. OK then" Sal cleared her throat "In that case, you might want to know that May and Foster are planning on going out"

Buffy spun around "*What*?"

Sal cowed a bit at the expression on Buffy's face "T-they have stakes and, uh, Foster's got a water gun with holy water in it 'cos he figured-"

"I can't *believe* those two!"

"-if it worked in From Dusk till Dawn'" Sal finished weakly.

Buffy groaned loudly in frustration "This is just typical. I *asked* *nicely* for crying out loud" 

Buffy turned and looked out of the window. She couldn't see May and Foster yet but she could see Sean waving back up at her, although he wasn't jumping around. Buffy turned back around to Sal "OK. Go and tell Coop and Mint. They're in the far back left room on the next floor down. Ask Mint if he can go downstairs and cover them and tell Coop that I want him up here"

"And *you* can't do this because…?"

Buffy's expression was firm "Because I've got a shot at her from up here and I'm not going to lose it. Now *please*"

Sal rolled her eyes "Fine. Anything for your Majesty" Sal turned and headed back down the stairs.

Buffy looked back out of the window again, aiming her crossbow at the point where Sean was standing. Except she still couldn't see the vampire. She could barely see Sean - the lights were making him slightly transparent from this distance. Buffy didn't want to take a shot and miss which would alert Marion that they were wise to her presence. Instead Buffy kept her aim on Sean, hoping that sometime soon she could fire and reduce the bitch to ashes.

-------------------

"Coop?" Mint readied his crossbow "Something just moved out there"

"Vampire?"

"If it is" Mint said, raising an eyebrow slightly when Xander started to take off his sling "It's one big fat bastard" he paused "What are you doing?"

"I'm fine. The painkillers are kicking in" Xander raised the rifle and held it so he could look down the sight. He was still grimacing. "Well, kicking in a little". Suddenly Xander saw what Mint had seen "And what d'ya know. That's the big, fat bastard that broke my ribs in the first place"

"Shoot 'im in the bollocks" Mint suggested "That should distract 'im"

Xander took aim and fired, but a recoil took him by surprise and he staggered back and tripped back over the stool that he'd previously been sitting on. Xander cried out as his bad shoulder took the brunt of the fall, but waved Mint away when the other man tried to help him. "No. You shoot… him now" he managed to gasp out, wrapping his good arm around his chest, holding his bad shoulder still in the vain hope that it would stop the pain that was throbbing through it "Did I, ow, get him?"

"Well he's not moving" Mint replied, taking up Xander's position at the window, aiming the crossbow at the vampire who hit the ground "But I don't think you got him in the bollocks" Mint moved to the left a little "I think I can get a shot…" he trailed off as he started to take aim "And ready… aim… fi-"

"I've just got orders from her highness Donna" Sal's voice was urgent and loud enough to distract Mint just as his finger pulled the trigger.

"Bloody hell Sal!" Mint cried, turning round and glaring at "Did ya have ta?" he looked back around to check on his target "Oh wait, actually I think I got him in the arse… but, oh, now he's getting up"

"Hey, I didn't know!" Sal protested.

Xander stood up; steadying himself against the wall then held onto his shoulder again "What's wrong?"

"May and Foster have gone out" Sal replied quickly "She says that the other vampire is out front"

"Well we've got our hands full here" Mint replied; keeping his eye on the vampire who was trying to figure out where the shot came from. "What does she expect us to do anyway?"

"Donna wanted you to cover out front Mint" Sal looked Xander up and down "She wants you with her… probably because you look like shit" she glanced back at Mint "Look, I can take over here, you'll be better out front"

"OK, OK" Mint handed Sal the crossbow "He's still trying to get the arrow out of his arse, but he keeps moving around - I couldn't get a good shot'. He then hurried quickly over to Xander and caught him just as he stumbled slightly "Cooper mate, are you gonna be OK?"

"I'll be fine" Xander said "Go on, go"

-------------------

"Sean what the hell are you doing" Buffy muttered "When I said jump around I didn't mean attempt the Macarena"

Xander cleared his throat as he came up behind Buffy so as not to startle her "Hey Buff"

"Hey Xan" Buffy kept her eyes on Sean "Did Sal fill you in?"

Xander stood beside her "Yeah" he paused "What are you aiming at?"

"Sean" Buffy replied "He's not tuned into you" she explained "We needed a bigger range"

"What's he-" Xander stopped when his shoulder twinged painfully "-doing?"

"He's mirroring the vampire. Trouble is, I can't quite be sure whether I'm going to get her heart or not"

"Her big rib crushing friend is out back" Xander told her "We got a couple of shots at him, although nothing fatal. Sal's on him at the moment and she'll yell if he comes out front… oh *God* *damn*" Xander screwed his eyes shut when his shoulder spasmed badly.

Buffy turned and saw him clutching his shoulder "Xander, what happened?" she asked anxiously.

"Tripped" Xander replied through gritted teeth "Shoulder… out again… I think" Xander looked at her "Just dust the bitch quick so we can get out of here, huh?"

"Planning on it" Buffy took aim at Sean again and frowned a little "Sean, what the hell are you doing?". Sean was trying to get her attention, pointing to his hand that held 'Gizmo' and then using both hands to draw something in the air. A few moments later, Buffy realised what it was. A heart.

Then he reached out his arm to the side, holding a now glowing ultraviolet 'Gizmo' out as a target.

"I can't see May or Foster yet" Xander pointed out "What are they doing?"

Buffy smiled "It doesn't matter" she lowered the crossbow a little, looking directly down the wood-tipped arrow, pointing it directly at Sean's hand.

-------------------

__

(Just a few moments earlier)

Marion kept herself in the shadows of the trees and shrubs that led up to the house. With her enhanced sight it was easy for her to see through the leaves and branches and more importantly what was happening at the front of the house. She hoped that Pete was making himself obvious around the back of the house, drawing the pathetic little gang's attention to him and away from her.

Marion smiled when the front door opened and a young black girl and a tall blond guy came out. They were both dressed up to the nines and were obviously going out. Marion kept smiling //Obviously they have no plans on looking for me//. She moved silently forward through the shadows, waiting for the moment when they would pass her and she could take them out. Marion had wanted to get another taste of the gorgeous brunette she'd snacked on a few nights previously, but she guessed she'd just have to make do with getting these two.

She took another step forward into a more open area of the, waiting for the young couple to venture further down the steps. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement at one of the ground floor windows. Marion shrugged it off. There was no way one of those little bastards could spot her through the trees. It wasn't as if she was wearing a glow in the dark target.

Then she felt a brief spark of pain. Marion looked down and saw the end of an arrow protruding from her chest. "Oh bloody he-"

-------------------

"And score one for the Slayer" Buffy lowered he weapon and looked to Xander "I guess I still got it"

Xander smiled back "Good for you" he paused "Although… don't you feel it was a little…." Xander trailed off, searching for a word.

"Anti-climatic?" Buffy suggested.

"Just a little" he agreed "I feel kinda cheated"

Buffy shrugged "Well we've still got a guy out the back" she replied "Sal didn't yell, so I guess-"

"Guys!" came a call up the stairs "Slight problem!"

"Or maybe we spoke too soon" Buffy said, "I'll go" Buffy sprinted down the next flight of stairs and was met at the bottom by an anxious looking Sal.

"I took a shot at him" Sal explained quickly "But I missed and he was gone before I could get another arrow in"

"Damn" Buffy swore "I'm going down" she called up to Xander who was now standing at the top of the stairs looking concerned.

"I've just seen May and Foster go out" Xander told her as she started down the next lot of stairs "Be careful!". Xander headed down towards Sal "You'll have to give me a hand down the stairs, the blinding pain in my shoulder is affecting my balance". 

Sal took his arm and he leaned against her a little "Coop, what the hell are you planning to do? You look like you're about to pass out"

"I just want to make sure she doesn't end up going in head first" Xander told Sal as the moved "She's gotta remember that she's not the Sl-" Xander stopped himself in time "I don't want her doing something she's not capable of right now"

-------------------

"He came past my window" Mint almost ran into Buffy as they headed for the front door at the same time "May and Foster went out"

"I know" Buffy said, "Have you got any arrows for this thing?" she held up her weapon "I don't want to have only one shot at him"

Mint handed her one more arrow "That's all I've got Donna"

"Then we'll have to be spot on" Buffy said with frustration as they both got on to the front steps. "Hey dead boy!" Buffy called out to the vampire "Where d'ya think you're going?!"

May and Foster turned around when they heard Buffy cal out. It was just in time to see the big vampire come lunging towards them. Foster grabbed may and threw her and himself to the ground and the vampire dived over them and landed in a heap a few feet away from them.

He growled and got quickly to his feet. He looked over to who had shouted, warning his victims, and saw a petite blond haired girl and a tall wiry, dark haired guy both aiming crossbows at him. Pete then looked to the other couple who were scrambling away, reaching for what he guessed were weapons in their pockets.

"Marion!" he called out "Get your undead arse out 'ere!"

"Marion's not going to answer" Buffy called out "At least I think I'm right in thinking that piles of dust don't talk"

Pete sneered. He didn't know whether to believe the girl or not, but he knew that he didn't like her. "You don't scare me little girl" he morphed his face into vampire visage "I'm gonna get a meal here to-"

Pete fell forward and Buffy saw an arrow protruding from his back just as he turned to dust.

"What the-?" Buffy glanced around "Where did that come from?"

"What?"

Buffy turned around to see Xander "He's dust but…" she trailed off and looked around again "But no-one this end fired. Did you see anyone else out there?" she asked May and Foster as they came hurrying back up to the house.

They both said that they hadn't. Buffy turned around to Xander again "No one else was outside" she said "That shot came from behind"

"Then I think maybe we should get in" Xander said "I think we've had enough drama for the moment"

"But we should go and check-" Buffy started to go down the steps.

"Buffy" Sean materialised on front of them both "They're gone. There's no one here"

"But-" Buffy hesitated. //But Sean could be wrong//. She looked to Xander. He was holding out his hand of his good arm towards her. She sighed frustratedly and walked back up the steps.

Xander rested the hand of his good arm on the small of Buffy's back as they headed in, leaving Mint to lock the doors quickly as May after May and Foster. "Just take a break for a minute OK?" he said gently.

Buffy glanced across at him "I just can't stand not being able to-" she stopped and sighed. Buffy walked away from him and over to a mirror that hung on the hall wall between the posters and the flaking plaster. Buffy gazed at her reflection //It shouldn't be all that different//, Buffy thought, looking back at a face that was framed by long dark blonde hair and into eyes that were a fraction off being the same colour as hers //I'm still the same person inside//.

Xander joined her, standing close by her shoulder and they met each other's looks in the mirror. Buffy then realised that this was the first time she'd seen what Xander looked like in this leap. The person she saw standing next to her reflection of a pretty, small blonde, was a tall, good looking guy with brown hair that curled over his forehead and threatened to fall into eyes that were like chocolate.

"Freaky huh?" Xander smiled a little.

"Hell yeah" Buffy replied softly, a trace of a smile on her own lips. She tilted her head and looked up at the real Xander "Y'know, we should get your shoulder fixed"

Xander was about to nod when he saw Sean shaking his head. "You two are done here" Sean said "You started them off thinking" he nodded towards Mint "And you got a guy to take up your crusade"

There was a flash of white light and a crackle of blue energy and then there was black.

-------------------

A couple of seconds later Buffy found herself seated at a small oak table. She had an open book infront of her and she was holding a pencil in one hand. Xander was standing just a few feet away infront of her by one of countless bookcases, in what was obviously at first glance a library.

She looked at him and smiled "Why is it we can never get away from piles of old books?"

Xander shrugged and sat down on the chair opposite her "Perhaps we did something in a past life" he grinned "Anyhow, I have full use of my shoulder and as I'm now able to breath in the musty air without being in agony, I'll cope" he nodded at the book Buffy had infront of her "Anything good?"

"It's been tough going" Buffy joked. She glanced down at the page, studied it for a few moments and then frowned. She glanced back at Xander "I *can* read *English* can't I?"

Xander raised an eyebrow "You should know"

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed the book towards him. Xander turned it around so he could see. "Well…" he said shortly "It looks a little like English… but" he started reading out loud " _'Now, sir, and eft, sir, so bifell the cas that on a day this hende Nicholas fill with this yonge wife to rage and playe while that her husbond was at Oseneye_'" Xander stopped reading the text and looked back at Buffy "It's like a five year old wrote it. And I don't have a clue what it means"

"Hey" Buffy said brightly "Maybe that's our challenge. Translate this and then we leap out"

"I do like the sound of that" Xander said "But if that's not it, well… I don't care what it involves so long as I don't get blown up" he started counting on his fingers "Bitten by a vampire, dislocate my shoulder or anything that means I end up in severe, agonising pain"

"Me too" Buffy agreed. Then she paused "However, I do think you should know that you're wearing a dress"

=============

to be continued...

Read the next episode **_"Oh Boy"_** ...


	6. Oh Boy

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Six: "Oh Boy"

Summary: Buffy and Xander have to stop a murder, but Xander's not happy with some of the aspects of his new role. Luckily for both of them they'll get help along the way.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** R (Language and violence).  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.   
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

A couple of seconds later Buffy found herself seated at a small oak table. She had an open book infront of her and she was holding a pencil in one hand. Xander was standing just a few feet away infront of her by one of countless bookcases, in what was obviously at first glance a library. 

She looked at him and smiled "Why is it we can never get away from piles of old books?"

Xander shrugged and sat down on the chair opposite her "Perhaps we did something in a past life" he grinned "Anyhow, I have full use of my shoulder and as I'm now able to breath in the musty air without being in agony, I'll cope" he nodded at the book Buffy had infront of her "Anything good?"

"It's been tough going" Buffy replied with a smile. She glanced down at the page, studied it for a few moments and then frowned. She glanced back at Xander "I *can* read *English* can't I?"

Xander raised an eyebrow "You should know"

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed the book towards him. Xander turned it around so he could see. "Well..." he said shortly "It looks a little like English... but" he started reading out loud " 'Now, sir, and eft, sir, so bifell the cas that on a day this hende Nicholas fill with this yonge wife to rage and playe while that her husbond was at Oseneye'" Xander stopped reading the text and looked back at Buffy "It's like a five year old wrote it. And I don't have a clue what it means"

"Hey" Buffy said brightly "Maybe that's our challenge. Translate this and then we leap out"

"I do like the sound of that" Xander said "But if that's not it, well... I don't care what it involves so long as I don't get blown up" he started counting on his fingers "Bitten by a vampire, dislocate my shoulder or anything that means I end up in severe, agonising pain"

"Me too" Buffy agreed. Then she paused "However, I do think you should know that you're wearing a dress"

Xander froze. After a long pause he spoke. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I said, I thought I should tell you that you're wearing a dress". It must have been divine intervention that Buffy managed to keep her face straight.

Xander stared back at Buffy, trying to fathom whether or not she was joking. He really didn't want to look down and check just for her to go 'Ha ha, fooled you'. Although Xander had just noticed that his arms were bare and he could feel fresh air against the back of his calves. He definitely wasn't wearing jeans or pants of any description. Xander decided to risk it. He broke his stare away from Buffy and glanced down at his himself. 

To discover that Buffy was right. 

Xander buried his face in his hands "Oh my God" he groaned.

"I think it's a very nice dress" Buffy had to swallow laughter down in her throat "It suits you". Buffy did actually quite like the dress. It was an earthy brown colour with black embroidery around the top hem that came straight across the top of Xander's chest and finished at what she guessed was knee length, and was held up by straps that were tied at the tops of both his shoulders.

Xander frowned and shot her a dark look "You think this is hilarious don't you?"

Buffy clamped her mouth shut and just shook her head. "Mmm unn" she managed through tightly closed lips.

Xander narrowed his eyes "Oh come on Buffy" he said in a coaxing voice "I'm wearing a dress" Xander leant forward over the table towards her, trying to play her "You've got to find it a little bit amusing"

//Mental deep breath... remember inner poise...// "Not really" she cleared her throat "I don't find it funny at all" //Oh God... inner poise... inner poise... stop quoting Bridget Jones...//

"Hmm" Xander put one of his elbows up on the table, resting his chin on his hand "Not even if I told you that I think I'm wearing a thong?"

Buffy's hand went immediately to her mouth, trying to hold back her smirk, but her shoulders were shaking now and Buffy was starting to get ill holding the laughter in her chest and throat. She took her hand from her mouth and tried to compose herself "You mean you... you didn't notice... before?". It was no good. Buffy started giggling "I'm so-orry Xander" she managed through gasps for air "I can't... help it"

"Ha ha" Xander said flatly "Laugh it up why don't you". He folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair "Far be it for me to point out that you've actually been a guy on this whirly gig of fun"

Buffy sniggered "Yeah but I was wearing pants" she retaliated "You're not". Then Buffy's eyes widened a bit "Ooh, but hey. Maybe you're not actually a woman" she said "Maybe you're like a transvestite or something and people *are* actually seeing a guy in a dress"

Xander scowled at her "You are *so* not helping"

"I know" Buffy was still laughing.

"Hey you two. Thought I'd get here early this time" Sean suddenly appeared, strangely situated in the middle of the table next to theirs, his lower half not visible at all. Sean's gaze fell on Xander "Y'know I almost wore the exact same thing" he said, not missing a beat.

"You haven't got the hips for it" Xander shot back just as quick.

"Wow. Not a minute in a dress and you're already bitchin' like a girl". And Sean was back in the lead.

Xander's eyes narrowed at the other man "And of course you now a lot about *girls*"

"Now, now" Buffy interjected "Don't mind him Sean" she said "He's just sore"

"Yeah, I think it's the thong" Xander muttered, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

Luckily as Xander was glaring at Buffy who had started giggling again, Xander didn't see Sean's eyes glaze over for a second before the hologram regained his focus. "Yeah, well. I forgive him" Sean cleared his throat "And hopefully give you some good news" he looked at Xander "It doesn't look like you'll be here for too long" Sean informed him, then he looked around "But I think we should get out of here before I give you a run down"

A "Would you two please be quiet!" suddenly got hissed loudly at them from a gap in between two bookcases "Remember where you are. People are trying to study!"

Buffy and Xander turned their gaze to the middle-aged woman who was glaring at them from over the top of her half-moon spectacles and clutching a book to her chest. A name badge announcing herself as 'Rose: Head Librarian' was pinned to her cardigan.

"Oops" Buffy said quietly "Sorry. It's just-"

"We're going anyway" Xander said, although a little hesitant to actually get to his feet "Just give us a couple of minutes OK?"

The woman was still glaring at them "Good" she hissed again "I'm sick and tired of you lot tramping about in here like you own the place anyway"

"Geez. Stereotypical much?" Sean shook his head lightly as he watched the old woman walk away "OK you two, lets get a move on so I can fill you in"

Xander hesitated "You mean 'go', as in 'get up'?"

"That's kind of the idea Xander" Buffy kept her voice low.

Xander folded his arms over his chest. "Well I'm not going"

Buffy rolled her eyes "Oh for Gods sake Xander" she hissed "Me and Sean are the only ones who're gonna see a guy in a dress"

"Yeah" Xander replied through gritted teeth "And it's still more people than I'd like"

"Xander, either you move your ass now or I get Juan to leap you into my body during the time I was getting whipped cream licked off me by a studly, young naked Italian guy who was hung like a donkey"

Buffy had an immediate coughing fit and Xander's eyes went wide and then his forehead hit the table top with a thud. "I really, really hate you Sean".

"I take it that's a yes then?" Sean asked.

Xander pushed himself away from the table and got up, shooting a warning look at Buffy, who still had trouble keeping her face straight. Buffy just held her hands up as some sort of apology and began to gather up what she assumed was her new persona's things. 

Xander pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "My life sucks"

"So did the Italian"

-------------------

Rose was still muttering under her breath as she walked back to the counter, pushing a trolley full of returned books. She peered over glasses at the young man behind the counter who was busy looking at a computer screen. "Why can they read the books they rudely ask me to get, but can't manage to read the signs that say 'Quiet please'?"

The young man, who hadn't heard her come over, hastily shut down what he was looking at and turned away from the screen and peered at Rose through the dark blonde hair that fell over his face. "Um..." he offered helpfully. His gaze then followed the index finger that Rose jabbed towards Buffy and Xander who were now leaving. Of course what he saw were two blonde girls. One shorter than the other and the taller one had a look of someone who was badly pissed off on her face. He looked back to Rose. "I take it they were being noisy" he said as he took a book from her.

"Very" Rose pursed her lips together. She glanced at the computer screen "Have you finished with that yet?" she asked.

"Nearly" he replied "Couple more things to do"

Rose huffed "Hurry up would you? I want to close up here soon" and with that she moved off again with her trolley.

The young man waited until she'd gone out of sight before he re-opened the screen he'd been looking at before Rose had interrupted him. He tapped a few more keys and went through a few more screens before he finally found what he was looking for. He began to scroll through the names on the school record list until he found one he wanted.

"Katherine Hobbs" he muttered under his breath. He clicked on her name and saw the list of details appear on the screen. He scanned date of birth and grade point averages as he waited for the picture of the girl in question to load. When it did, he smacked his palm against his head in frustration.

It was one of the blonde girls that had just left.

-------------------

"Ooh, nice off campus place huh?" Buffy turned and grinned at Xander who still had a scowl on his face. Buffy rolled her eyes at him "Xan, the guy was only looking at your legs because you've walking in *bare* *feet*"

Xander pulled a face and waved the shoes he was now holding in his hand "How is any person supposed to walk in things that have just one strap holding them on?"

"Yeah I'm kinda with Xander on that one" Sean added, "I'll never get women and shoes"

"No man will ever get women and shoes" Xander replied "It's genetic. It's the same with purses"

This time it was Buffy's turn to pull a face "Do you want to stand out here all day?" she stated. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the small house that Sean had informed they shared with a young couple. "Let's just get inside huh?"

"Won't we need keys?" Xander pointed out as he followed Buffy up the path towards the house.

Buffy glanced at Sean who tapped a few keys on Gizmo. He grinned at Xander "They're in your purse"

-------------------

__

(A short while later)

Buffy glared at Sean "No fair. Why does he get to be prettier than me?" Buffy looked back at both her and Xander's reflections in the bedroom mirror. She gestured behind herself to Xander "And how does anyone get around with a chest that big and-and unsupported and *not* fall over?"

Xander, who was seated on the edge of the bed, glanced up into the mirror and met Buffy's eyes "Does it really matter seeing as how I'm not leaving this house until we leap again?"

Buffy turned around to face Xander "Hey, it's not my fault the girl doesn't have pants that'll fit you"

"I'm not going about in some strange woman's skirts"

"Well I don't think she'd appreciate you walking about in the nude" Buffy retorted "And don't even *think* about saying it Sean"

Sean raised an eyebrow "I don't think she'd mind if you did" he looked at Xander "So long as you don't get her thrown in jail for this murder"

"OK" Xander said "Just so we're clear. She really *really* didn't hack this guy to pieces"

Sean shook his head "Didn't even poke him with a butter knife. Katherine was sitting happily at home with a mug of cocoa watching Star Trek repeats"

"But no one saw her 'cos she was home alone" Buffy said, sitting down in a chair by the window "And circumstantial evidence got her convicted"

"Pretty damning circumstantial evidence at that" Sean said "Traces of Katherine's skin under his finger nails for one thing and also her prints one of the knives used that was found near the scene"

"Uh Sean?" Buffy raised her hand a little in the air "That sounds like *actual* evidence"

Sean shook his head again "Not when the knife came from *this* house and her prints could have got on it anytime and she was friends with the guy which could explain the skin under fingernails". Sean paused "Plus we know who *actually* did do it, so we kind of have the upper hand"

This time it was Xander's turn to raise his hand "So then... are we also stopping someone from *getting* killed?"

Sean shrugged "That's optional"

"Optional!" Buffy and Xander cried out in unison.

"*Jo*-*king*" Sean rolled his eyes "Man, you two *really* have to lighten up" he sighed "Of *course* we're stopping the hacking to pieces". Sean tapped a few keys on his mini-computer "The guy's name - that's the guy who's getting killed - is Michael Holditch. Goes to the same University as you two, well Katherine and Kelly, and is in a couple of your classes - that's why you're quite friendly with him". Sean looked up at them both "The killer - a Terry Bookerson - won't get into town until the night of the murder, but it might be handy to keep an eye on Michael until then"

"Starting when?" Buffy asked.

"Tomorrow is good" Sean replied "Plus it'll give Xander a little time to uh, get adjusted, so to speak"

Xander groaned softly and flopped backwards onto the bed. "Yay"

"And with that enthusiastic response from Xander" Sean continued "I'll take my leave. You two should be fine here for the rest of tonight. Your housemates, Sheena and Patrick, won't be back until late tomorrow, so you'll have free reign of the house" Sean smirked "Maybe you could braid each others hair"

Sean disappeared, barely missing Xander raising his arm and flipping Sean the bird.

Buffy watched Xander's hand then fall limply back onto the bed and heard him let out a deep 'woe is me' sigh. Shaking her head lightly, Buffy got up from her chair and walked over to the bed, sitting by Xander. 

"Xander?"

"What?" Xander said softly, staring up at the ceiling.

Buffy prodded him in the side and he looked at her. Buffy smiled sympathetically "I promise I won't laugh anymore, OK?"

Xander raised an eyebrow "Really"

"OK. Actually I can't promise" she admitted "*But*" she added quickly before Xander started looking up at the ceiling again "I'm gonna try and make you feel better about it. Be all supportive and stuff"

"Really?" Xander sounded a bit more hopeful this time.

Buffy smiled back "Sure" she tugged on one of Xander's arms, making him sit up "Now come on. There's another guy in this house remember? I bet a whole lotta money on the fact he'll probably have something that fits you which you could temporarily, uh-"

"Steal?" Xander suggested.

"For want of a better word" Buffy turned her head to look at both their reflections in the mirror and grinned. "Anyway, what are big sisters for?"

-------------------

Rose pushed the finally empty returns trolley to the front of the checking out counter and coughed pointedly, making the young man still seated infront of the computer jump again.

"Michael, if hadn't noticed we've finished here for the night. That means I want to go and I can't until you leave" she paused "So leave"

"OK, OK. I'm gone" he switched the computer off and then glanced at Rose as he grabbed his coat off the back of the chair "Do you want me in tomorrow?"

"That would be nice" she made shooing gestures with her hand and watched as he walked off towards the exit. "Why they insist on having students work here is really beyond me" she muttered before heading off to get her own coat"

-------------------

"I think she likes you". A smirk. "Really *likes* you"

"She does not like me" the guy who'd just been shooed from the library pulled his coat around him tighter as a sudden chill blew through the air. He turned to the guy next to him who hadn't even been ruffled by the wind "That's just your dirty little mind working over time"

The other guy just smirked again "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Try and *accidentally* bump into this Katherine, I guess. Try and see inside the mind of a possible killer" he sighed "She didn't look like a woman who could hack a guy to bits"

"Don't say I didn't warn you when she comes at you, well this Michael guy, with a machete"

"Always looking on the bright side aren't you Al?"

"I'm just saying-"

"Yeah, I know. Look, can you just get the guys working on why Ziggy is playing up?"

"Already on it" Al smiled around a cigar "You know that Katherine girl was a nice piece of-"

"*Al*"

Al raised his hands up "OK OK, I'm gone"

Sam Beckett didn't even blink as a white door opened in the air behind the other man and his friend stepped through it. He just shivered as another cold wind blew around him, glancing up at the ever darkening sky before heading over towards the clump of buildings, one of which house his dorm room that was his home for the time being.

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

"OK Xander. I really think we have to set some sort of rules here" Buffy set her mug of coffee down on the kitchen counter as Xander joined her "You can't just go around in just a pair of jeans y'know. You need to cover your chest up" Buffy gestured to his bare upper torso. "What if someone looks through the window? They aren't gonna see your pecs, they're gonna see *Katherine* all as nature intended her". Then Buffy's eyes widened "Oh my God. You haven't been looking have you? I told you not to go anywhere near a mirror naked when I'm not around to supervise" Buffy paused briefly "And why did that last sentence sound so different in my head?"

"Freudian slip?"

Buffy ignored Xander's smirk. "Just tell me you haven't been looking"

"I haven't been looking" Xander replied "And even though you insist on telling me otherwise, *all* the time I might add, I *can* get dressed without looking in a mirror"

"Well can't you put a t-shirt on or something?"

"Buffy, the curtains are closed" Xander replied "Anyway I'm hardly distracting *you* am I?"

Buffy took up her coffee again "I so hope I don't catch sight of you in a mirror"

"Well it's alright for you" Xander said, coming up to the breakfast counter that Buffy stood behind "You've obviously got no problem finding clothes to fit you" he gestured to Buffy's casual ensemble of loose, white cotton pants and black vest top "Even if you were a guy you'd be able to get into his clothes and still not look like a complete moron"

Buffy sighed "Xander, it's gonna be, like, *three* *days* out of your life" she raised an eyebrow "And we're saving someone's life"

Xander rested his forearms on the counter and hung his head. "Great" he groaned softly "Make me feel worse why don't you?" he raised his head and looked at her "I thought you were going to be 'all supportive and stuff'"

"And being supportive means that I have to tell you the truth some times" Buffy replied chirpily.

"I thought being supportive was all pats on the back and listening to me moan about not having matching underwear"

"No" she paused "That was last week"

Xander shot her a pained look, but Buffy just grinned. "Come on, I know what'll make you feel better" Buffy continued "I found ten dollars crumpled up at the bottom of Kelly's wardrobe" Buffy took a sip of her coffee "Should be enough to get you your own pair of sweatpants from a thrift store or something"

"You're seriously suggesting that I go *out*?" Xander said with disbelief "*Shopping*?"

"No" Buffy replied "I'm saying that *I'm* going out shopping. What part of 'supportive' didn't you understand"

Xander blinked "You're seriously suggesting that I stay *here*? *Alone*?"

"You can come if you want Xander" Buffy said, but there was a 'no way' look on Xander's face. "Then stay here. You'll be fine. And *if* someone comes around, either don't answer the door or tell them you're sick or something" Buffy sighed "I don't know why you can't just deal with wearing a dress like any other grown man would"

"Did that sentence also sound different before you said it?"

Buffy pulled a face, even though she was smiling a little "Just go put your boobs away Xander"

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

Buffy had left about fifteen minutes ago and now Xander was alone in the house. Currently he was upstairs in the bedroom that was to be his for the next few days. It was small and incredibly, well, he'd used the word "girly". Buffy had agreed, saying even she didn't own that many stuffed animals and it had to be bad for the eyes seeing that much pastel all together in the same room. Then Buffy had seen her room and had begged Xander to swap.

Barbie had nothing on the Hobbs sisters.

Xander stood infront of the standing, full-length mirror and stared back at his reflection. Katherine was the same age as him and as tall as he was. She had short, natural blonde hair that fell around her pretty face. Xander was still wearing jeans that he'd 'borrowed' from Katherine and Kelly's housemate, Patrick, and also a button down shirt that, amazingly, he'd actually found in Katherine's wardrobe. 

Xander took hold of a few strands of his hair and held them out infront of his face, peering at them intently before glancing back at his reflection. He didn't get it. Xander was holding onto the bottom of the lock of hair and the reflection showed that as well, yet Katherine's hair was a good few inches longer than his.

That wasn't the only thing. Letting go of his hair, Xander looked down at himself, at what he was wearing. The jeans fitted him perfectly and the shirt did too, but when he looked back at his reflection, the jeans were baggy around the waist and looked like they were about to fall down. The shirt too, was baggier on his reflection's body, well, everywhere except around the chest. Xander turned around, turning to one side first and examining his image in the glass and then to the other, before realising that, technically, he was checking out another woman's body.

So he only did it for a few more moments before stopping, sighing and going over to the window, opening the curtains a little. Xander stared out the window, which looked out the back of the house, at the world outside. The world outside was currently in 1997 and a little 'burb just outside Boston.

"Just a bit different" he said softly to himself "Today it's the good old US of A. Yesterday it was merry old England". //Had to be... wow, nearly two weeks we were there// Xander realised //That's gotta make it about three weeks since we first leapt//. Xander closed his eyes //Why does it seem so much longer?//.

-------------------

__

(Half an hour later...)

"This is a stupid idea Al" Sam muttered out the side of his mouth. He pressed the doorbell "Remind me why I'm doing this would you?"

Al took the cigar out his mouth "So you stop the poor guy getting himself cut into itty bitty pieces. And it was your stupid idea"

"I know" Sam replied as he waited patiently on the doorstep "But why do I have a really weird feeling that something's not quite right here?"

Al tapped a few keys on the multi-coloured device he held in his hand "Because our system is being jammed by an outside source?" he smacked the device "Come on you stupid... who designed this piece of cr-" Al glanced up at Sam who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised. Al pulled a face "OK, you're the expert. You tell me what's wrong with it"

"You just said it Al. Something must be interfering with it. But as it's only intermittent-" Sam broke off and took a couple of steps back, looking up and around the outside of the house "And we have all the information we need for the moment-" he looked back at Al "I'm sure we'll cope" he rang the doorbell again, pressing it for longer "I bet Katherine's not even in"

"Well she didn't turn up for class and she didn't go out with her sister" Al pointed out "Chances are she's sharpening all the knives in the house"

Sam shot Al a withering look "Can't you go and have a look inside?"

"And see if she's sharpening knives?"

"Just go and-" Sam broke off "Wait. I think I hear something"

Al stuck his head through the door and saw the tall blonde girl standing with her back to the door, her eyes closed as she muttered something to herself that sounded like "You can do it. Just tell them you're sick"

Al withdrew his head and looked at Sam "She's talking to herself"

"Yeah? Well to anyone else" Sam said softly as the door began to open "So am I"

-------------------

Xander peered out through the small gap between the door and the frame to see a young guy about his age, with dark blonde hair that hung in curtains around his face, standing on the doorstep.

"Uh... Hi?" Xander tried to sound sickly.

The other guy smiled "Hey Katherine. I missed you in lectures today" he looked concerned "I just wondered if everything was OK"

"I was... I'm not feeling too good" Xander replied.

"Yeah, and why don't I believe you blondie?" Al mumbled around his cigar. He smacked the little coloured box in his hand "Come on, tell me what's going on"

Sam tried his best to ignore Al. He tried again - after all, the guy Michael that he was, was supposed to be good friends with her. "Well, is there anything I can do?" Sam asked, stepping closer to the door.

"Nope" Xander answered quickly "I'm infectious. It's a nasty horrible thing. You don't want it. Really. Makes you feel like a completely different person. You'd better go" Xander went to shut the door but the other guy put a hand out to stop it.

"Well, you don't look too bad" Sam said "I'm sure I'll be fine"

Xander frowned "Um... fine for what?"

"Sounds like someone's hiding something Sam" Al stood directly infront of his friend "I think you need to get in there.

"To come in" Sam said hopefully "You said you were having problems with some of your study" he shoved both his hands into his back pockets "And I'm free now if you want. Come on, if I get sick, then you can tell me that you told me so"

Al looked over Sam's shoulder and saw another blonde girl heading up the path towards them, an anxious look flitted across her face when she noticed what was going on. "We're getting company Sam" Al warned his friend "Big sister's back"

Sam turned around to see the shorter of the two blonde girls now only a metre from him. Al on the other hand was still looking at the blonde blocking the doorway and saw the look of relief that crossed her face when she saw the other girl return. "Something is not right here" he said again.

-------------------

"Something weird is going on here" Sean was beside Buffy. He shook Gizmo "I'm getting some kind of interference. There's no info coming through"

"Um, hey, Katherine" Buffy looked to Xander who shrugged behind Sam's back "I see we have visitors"

"I just dropped by to see if Katherine was OK. Seeing as how she missed classes this morning" Sam looked back to Xander "But she told me she was sick"

"Oh she is" Buffy replied, shooting a look at Xander over Sam's shoulder "Real sick" she smiled at Sam when he looked back at her "I went to get medicine" Buffy cleared her throat and gestured past Sam "I should really get inside so I can give it to her"

"It's not that infectious then?" Sam said as Buffy brushed past him, her shoulder just barely touching his arm. Neither of them noticed the faint blue light that crackled over both their bodies.

Buffy kicked Xander's foot as she went past him into the house. She turned around. "I've, uh, already had it"

"She's already had it" Xander repeated "Look, it was nice of you to come around and everything, but I really think I'll get much better if I don't go out or-or see anyone"

"Until she's had her medicine anyway" Buffy added, shooting pointed look at Xander.

This time it was Xander's turn to kick Buffy's foot "Yes. Until then. Maybe we'll study later OK?" This time Xander managed to shut the door "Bye" he called out.

-------------------

Al shot Sam an 'I told you so' look the moment the door shut in Sam's face. Sam sighed. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose "Plan B?"

Al put his cigar back in his mouth "Plan B it is"

-------------------

Buffy glared at Xander and thrust the bag she'd been carrying at him "Infectious?" she hissed incredulously.

"Well I didn't want him coming in" Xander dropped the bag at the foot of the stairs and followed Buffy through to the living room "And you told me to tell people I was sick" he pointed out.

Buffy rolled her eyes "And how were you planning to explain not *actually* infecting anyone"

"Luck?"

Buffy shot Xander an exasperated look. He shrugged helplessly and sat down on the couch. Buffy looked at Sean who seemed to be having trouble with his little black box. She frowned and walked over to him "What's up?" she asked.

Sean glanced up at her briefly "Something's interfering with the information system. I can't get anything through that makes sense. It's just gibberish"

"Something jamming the signal?" Xander joined in.

"Is it raspberry?" Buffy added. Sean stared at her and blinked slowly. Buffy cleared her throat "Sorry. Guess I've seen Spaceballs one too many times"

Sean rolled his eyes "Well, it could be something jamming the signal" he said, glancing at Xander "Or it could be we just need to boost the signal our end" Sean looked between them both "I'll have to go back. See what's going on"

"It doesn't affect you coming and going?" Buffy asked.

Sean shook his head "Runs on a different system" he told them "I'll let you know as soon as we get something".

When Sean disappeared, Buffy walked over to the couch and sat down next to Xander. "So... anything else happen while I was gone?"

"Well, I flashed myself in the mirror a couple of times"

Buffy smacked him hard on the thigh "If I find out you even *did* that Xander Harris..." Buffy trailed off, giving him a warning look.

Xander just grinned "Yeah? You'll do what exactly?"

"I'll... I'll never buy you pants again". Buffy hated how weak that sounded.

"Hardly a *big* threat, is it Buff?"

"Well...well, I'll uh-" a thought struck Buffy and she smiled sweetly "Maybe I won't give you the one's I just got"

"Oh you wouldn't-"

Both Buffy and Xander's gaze drifted to the bag that Xander had left at the bottom of the stairs. They both turned back to look at each other, Buffy was still smiling and Xander was watching her carefully. Then they both moved at the same time, both jumping from the couch and rushing quickly to the stairs, eager to grab the plastic carrier bag first.

"Ooh, I got it" Buffy just got there ahead of Xander. She moved it just out of reach, but then her quick movements caught up with her and she swayed backwards, her ankles hitting the lowest step of the stairs and Buffy began to fall backwards.

Xander grabbed hold of her waist to stop her falling and he also grabbed hold of the bag. "You can't just give a man pants-" Xander tugged the bag towards himself "-and then take them back"

Buffy, now balanced again, tugged the bag hard back towards herself "Wanna bet?"

Xander narrowed his eyes, his lips forming a mischievous smile "Oh yeah". He took a step backwards, grabbing the back with both hands as he did so.

But Buffy still had a good hold, even though she got pulled forwards towards Xander. Buffy narrowed her eyes too, but they sparkled playfully. Buffy grabbed the bag with both hands as Xander tried to tug it again. She moved around so she had her back to the open doorway to the kitchen and then put one foot behind the other, trying to brace herself against Xander's tugging.

"Buffy, gimme my pants"

"Well, technically, they're mine" Buffy replied, valiantly trying to hold on to the bag that Xander was slowly eeking from her grasp //Damn not having Slayer powers// "*Noo*. I'm gonna hold them hostage-" Buffy struggled as Xander was actually now pulling her with him as he moved slowly backwards into the living room "-'til you swear that you won't even joke about looking at Katherine naked"

"Nope. No can do" Xander tugged harder "Joking is my coping mechanism. You can't just take it away"

"Xa-and-er" Buffy was trying not to laugh now at the fact she was actually partaking in a tug of war over a pair of second-hand sweatpants. Still, she wasn't about to give up too easily "Come on Xan" she whined playfully "I'm only looking out for Katherine's well-being"

"I wasn't going to look at her-" Xander tugged hard one more time "-well being... ooh and *yessss*" Xander held aloft the bag he'd finally prised from Buffy's grasp "I win. I am *the* master"

"Hey!" Buffy tried grabbing the raised arm of a now laughing Xander "Not until you promise"

Xander tried to prise Buffy from his body as she now actually had hold of his arm and was trying to pull it down towards her. Buffy pouted when he swapped the bag from one hand to the other making her efforts redundant as he now grinned at her waving the bag in the air. "Sometimes it's good to be tall Buff"

Buffy stepped back a little and matched his smug look "Yeah? And sometimes it's not good to be standing infront of something"

Before Xander could look back, Buffy pushed him so he staggered back and hit the backs of his knees on the arm of the sofa. Buffy tried grabbing at the bag again as Xander started to go backwards, unable to retain his balance, but she didn't manage it. She only managed to get caught hold of by Xander so they both fell backwards over the sofa and lengthways across the cushions.

"Gimme the bag!" Buffy wasted no time in trying to scramble over Xander as he still continued to hold the bag out of her reach; both of them still sprawled on the couch. Buffy started laughing "Xa-and-er come o-on"

"*No*. *Mine*" Xander laughed as he kept holding the bag just out of Buffy's reach "Hey! Watch where you're putting your knees!"

-------------------

"*Al*" Sam hissed "Can you see anything?"

Al withdrew his head through and looked back down at Sam who was crouched down underneath the window "Only something I usually pay good money to see" he leered.

"*Al*" Sam whispered "Just tell me what's going on"

"They're fighting over some bag. Last time I looked Kelly was winning"

"They're fighting?"

"Play fighting" Al corrected, then looked at Sam pointedly "I told you that Katherine girl wasn't sick"

Sam sighed "OK. OK" he said softly "Fine. Now we've got to figure out just what exactly *is* amiss"

-------------------

__

(Mid-morning - next day)

"I'm never going to believe anything you say again" Xander muttered as he walked, albeit uncomfortably, along side Buffy.

"What if it involves lots of people dying and the end of the world?"

"OK. Let me rephrase" he glanced across at her "You're *mean*"

"Mean? You're the one who kept threatening to flash himself" Buffy pointed out "And-" Buffy said, pretending to be hurt "I'm *being* supportive. I could have let you come here by yourself, y'know"

"Supportive my ass"

Buffy suppressed a smirk and lowered her voice "Xander, how can you say that?" she said, then paused briefly "Your ass is totally supported". Buffy managed to keep her face straight, although it meant she wouldn't be able to look at Xander to see his expression. "You've got those Lycra panels and everything"

Xander stopped walking and put his hands on his hips when Buffy finally stopped and turned around to face him.

Buffy ignored the pained look Xander was giving her. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Oh you know perfectly well *what*" Xander said "Y'know, I am *so* glad you can't take pictures of this". He pointed at her "And just so you know" Xander added "I *will* get my revenge"

"Yeah yeah" Buffy chuckled as Xander reluctantly began walking with her again "So you keep saying" she looped her arm through his "Xan, come on. I *had* to get those jeans back to Patrick. They *were* *his*. *Plus* you're the one who wanted to fight over the other pants. It's not my fault they got ripped in two"

"Oh, and I suppose you didn't buy easily destroyable sweatpants on purpose then?" Xander's tone was laced with sarcasm.

Buffy matched his tone "Oh and I suppose all Katherine's shoes went missing just *poof* like that did they?" she glanced across at him, noticing that he studiously avoided her gaze and had a trace of a smile on his lips. Buffy looked ahead again, smiling a little too as she carried on "Funny how the only things left were a pair of trainers"

"Pure coincidence" 

"Just a shame that the trainers are bright pink. And a size too small"

"Better than heels"

Buffy glanced down at Xander's feet as they still walked "Actually I think you could pull heels off with your legs"

"Do you want to stay friends with me?"

"Hey, I'm paying you a compliment" Buffy looked at him and smiled. Then she said in a low voice "Xander, you look fine. If you didn't, believe me, I wouldn't have let you leave the house. I'm pretty sure Katherine's got an image around here, and if people think she's acting weird, it's not gonna look good for her if this all goes down the toilet"

Xander looked across at her as they walked up the steps to the college library "Buff, you don't have to keep guilting me, 'kay?" Xander's voice got quieter too "I'm *wearing* a skirt"

Buffy bit down a grin and Xander rolled his eyes. Buffy nudged him in the side gently "Look, we'll make this as painless as possible. All we've got to do is keep an eye on this Michael guy. Sean said he works here. We can just sit and pretend to look at books"

"Ah, sitting around and looking at books. Like we don't do that enough"

-------------------

Sam was in the staff room getting some things together before he went out to the front desk. "Is Ziggy really sure they're both gonna be here?"

Al looked at the small, occasionally flashing device he held in his hand "Says they left about twenty minutes ago" Al shrugged "They're on foot and were headed in this direction. That's about as much as I got anyway before Ziggy went crazy again"

"Have you run her through all the system checks again?"

"Once, twice and thrice" Al replied "And so far all Guchy's come up with is taking the whole system up a notch so it'll stop the interference"

"Fine. But just remind him that Ziggy can't take too much for too long, OK?" Sam smiled fondly "She's getting old"

"We all are Sam" Al replied, giving Sam a small smile in return. "Look, we've got it under control Sam" Al reassured him "Now just get out there and keep tabs on the girl who might be chopping off parts of your anatomy in a couple of days"

-------------------

"You've gotta be kidding me" Xander whispered to Buffy as they ducked behind a bookcase. They'd both just seen the guy who'd come out to the front desk and had quickly hidden from his sight. "That's the guy from yesterday"

Buffy grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him over towards some less populated rows of bookcases. Buffy looked around to see if anyone was paying them attention before hissing, "*Sean*"

Xander turned to her "Y'know, it would've been nice to know this yesterday before we gave the impression that we were slightly nuts"

Buffy stared back at him, amused "We?"

Xander pulled a face but before he had the chance to say anything in return, Sean appeared, startling them both. Xander looked expectantly at the other man "So? How come we didn't know yesterday?"

Sean waved 'Gizmo' infront of Xander's face "*Hello*? Technical problems remember?"

"Well, can you tell us now if that guy is Michael?" Buffy murmured "Or has someone your end spilled coffee all over the computer again?"

"Yes, it's Michael" Sean replied, checking Gizmo "And *no*, no one has spilled coffee. We're in the process of fixing it. We've just got to boost the system" he looked between them both "So... have you two got a plan?"

"I've got dying of embarrassment as something to do later" Xander answered "But until then, we're just gonna play stalker"

"Y'know, I had a stalker once" Sean said "Actually he looked a lot like Xander does now" he paused "But with better legs" Sean paused briefly again before glancing at Buffy "Who's idea was the lip gloss?"

-------------------

__

(A short while later)

"Uh huh, see I told you" Al nodded towards Buffy and Xander who were sitting at a table in the quiet library, notebooks open infront of them and open textbooks to complete the studious effect "Hobbs sisters at one o'clock"

Sam, who was slowly pushing the returns trolley around the library pretending to work, glanced over to the two, in his eyes, blonde girls. "OK, so they're studying" he murmured softly "What am I supposed to do? Start asking intrusive questions and put their backs completely up?"

Al shrugged "Worth a shot"

"I'm just observing for now Al" Sam reminded him.

Al wandered over a little further towards Buffy and Xander "Well I'm OK with observing bit" he turned back to Sam and grinned "There's some nice pairs to observe". He ignored Sam's exasperated look "Oh come on, don't tell me you hadn't noticed"

"Just leave to my books OK Al?"

-------------------

"Great. Now nature calls" Xander said flatly, getting up from the table "Anything evil I should know about that lurks in the little girls room?"

"There's never enough mirrors and there are never any tampons in the tampon dispensers"

"Valuable information"

"Glad I could help" Buffy smiled brightly

"Appreciated" Xander couldn't help but smile back at Buffy before he headed off. 

Buffy kept smiling to herself as she watched Xander depart. //Well at least he's trying//. Buffy glanced over towards the front desk, noting that their quarry was heading off again with yet another trolley of books to return. //Gee, how more exciting can this get?//. Buffy sighed and picked up one of the textbooks they'd been pretending to study and began idly flipping through the pages, unaware that she was being watched. Very closely.

Al was standing directly infront of Buffy, the lower half over his body totally encompassed by the table Buffy was sitting at. "Now, lets get a look at you Kelly while Sam checks out your sister" Al began to peer intently at the blonde girl he saw sitting infront of him. Al frowned "Just what little secrets are you hiding missy?" 

-------------------

"OK... and I think it was a left by archaeology..." Xander murmured to himself as he made his way back to where he'd left Buffy. "Or was it a right?" he questioned as he started to come to the end of the row of bookcases. Xander turned around and started walking backwards, hoping he could remember where he'd come from. "Nope, I think it was a *ow*!"

Xander fell to an undignified heap on the floor, tripping around the long skirt he was wearing, after getting hit hard in the hip by something large and solid. Xander pushed his hair out of his face and scowled up at the person who'd been pushing the trolley he'd just been hit with "Hey, *ow*, watch where you're going with that thing would ya?" then Xander blinked and realised who had knocked him down "Ohhhh, it's... you"

"Damn. Man, I'm sorry, uh, Katherine". Sam offered him his hand, but Xander just brushed it away, not noticing the faint crackle of blue light that danced over both their bodies. Sam stepped back a little "Are you OK?"

"I'll live" Xander began to use the bookcase to try and get himself to his feet "But I think I'll have huge bruise on my ass". Xander had gotten about halfway up when he tripped again on the skirt, nearly ending up on the floor again - if it hadn't been for Sam grabbing hold of his arm.

Then it was like he'd hit by a small electric shock. Xander flinched back when he saw the blue light, visible this time, that flashed completely over the other man and also over himself.

Xander blinked rapidly, trying to focus his eyes on the person standing in front of him, the flash of light having made coloured spots dance infront of his face. He staggered backwards, keeping his balance though, when he finally focused on the guy infront of him. Xander's eyes darted about, looking for the guy who should be before him. Not seeing anyone, Xander looked back at Sam warily. "What did you do?" Xander demanded "Where's Michael? 

Sam blinked and looked Xander up and down "Well, this explains a lot"

"Hey, I asked you a *question*" Xander backed up from Sam "You just changed into a completely different person. I think that deserves an answer"

"Well, in all fairness you've just changed into a completely different person too. And don't try telling me-" Sam added before Buffy could reply "-that you're Katherine Hobbs, because you sure as *hell* ain't"

"And how exactly do you know that"

"Because you're now a guy wearing a skirt and horrible pink training shoes"

"You mean you can see..." //No. Dying of embarrassment comes later//. "Look, can you just tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Not until I know what program you're with"

"Program? I don't *know* what you're talking about" Xander replied "And-and I'm not telling you anything either. You could be some sort of evil shapeshifter thing that... that I'm now stuck with in a completely unpopulated area of the library. Oh god, I'm gonna die wearing a skirt. I hate my life"

Sam blinked "Evil shapeshifter thingy?"

"Yeah. Like a-a bad Odo"

"A bad odour?"

"*Odo*" Xander was getting impatient "What are you some sort of culturally *defunct* shapeshifter?"

Sam's brain was beginning to hurt "OK, this is... this is *really* getting us nowhere" Sam cleared his throat "I'm not a shapeshifter. I don't even know if they even exist. What I *am* is a leaper. And so are you"

"Ohhhhhhh". Suddenly the fog began to clear for Xander. "The quantum leap-y thing"

"You're with our program?"

"I am?"

"No, I'm asking you. Are you QL2?"

"Can I phone a friend?" Xander saw the look odd look on Sam's face "No really, I need to..." Xander glanced around "Uh Sean? Sean, you here?" Xander looked back at Sam "He knows more stuff about this than I do"

"Sean's your hologram guide?" Sam asked.

"You called?" Sean joining them stopping Xander's reply "What's up?". He looked at Sam "Oh holy Mary Mother of God. OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod. This is *sooo* cool!" he looked back to Xander "It's *Sam* *Beckett*! Do you know what this means?!"

Xander arched an eyebrow "That you're scaring me by how excited you are?"

"That's because I'm in total hero worship mode" Sean replied.

"O-kaay" Xander said slowly "Uh, is there any chance you could tell me what the hell QL2 is?"

"We are"

"We are?" Xander then looked back to Sam "We are. Uh, QL2 that is" Xander held out her hand tentatively "So you're Sam huh? I'm Xander"

"OK" Sam smiled back, taking his hand and shaking it "Now we're getting somewhere" he glanced around "And now I'm thinking we should probably get out of here before other people start hearing things they shouldn't"

"The man's right" Sean said "We need to identify what both our gigs are so we don't get a conflict of interests"

"OK" Xander agreed "Can you get Buffy to get our things together and meet us by the front desk?". Sean nodded and disappeared.

Sam looked at Xander, confused. "Buffy?"

-------------------

"I can't believe I was looking at a guy's breasts" Al tried to bang his head against the wall but it just went through it.

"Yeah? And I can't believe that you never checked for QL2" Sam replied, opening the door to Michael's dorm room "I thought it was procedure"

"Well we hadn't had a case in over three years" Al tried to defend himself "It just... slipped our minds. Anyway" he then realised "Its not like you reminded us"

"Because I didn't think I had to" Sam responded tersely.

Xander looked at Buffy as they followed Sam into the room "Is this how odd *our* one sided conversations look?"

"Yeah, but there's two of us" Buffy replied with a smile, closing the door behind her "We can just pretend we were talking to each other"

"Is your guy still here?" Sam asked as he took a seat on the bed, leaving Buffy to sit on a chair near the desk that stood underneath the small window and Xander to lean with his back up against the door.

"Sean went to give his guys the low down" Buffy explained "Seems they didn't pick you up either"

"She must mean Sean Packard" Al said tapping away on his hand held link to the main computer "He's been with the project for a couple of years now. Pretty good success rate too"

Sam just nodded in acknowledgement. He looked between Buffy and Xander "OK, we've established why we're all here-"

"To stop the slice and dice" Buffy added helpfully.

"-Exactly" Sam finished "And we've also established that you *actually* *know* who did it... which-" he frowned and looked at Al "Kind of makes our bit a little redundant don't you think?"

"Yeah because now you know who to avoid" Al worked it out "But then... you still here" Al looked at his computer link as it flashed something at him "OK. Guchy's working on that Sam" he glanced back at Sam "Apparently Michael is still climbing the walls and has a face like a rabbit that's about to get creamed by a Mack truck. So far, zippo out of him"

Buffy glanced at Xander while Sam was listening to Al, shooting him a 'so-what-now?' look. Xander just shrugged. Buffy turned back to Sam. "You mean there could be something else now that's keeping us here?" she asked.

Sam looked back to her "It happens. We wipe one thing off the board and then another just gets scribbled back on"

"Perhaps we just have to make sure that this Bookerson guy gets caught so he doesn't have the chance to do it to someone else" Xander suggested

"That's probably the most likely scenario" Sam agreed. He got up and went over to the small cupboard that was Michael's wardrobe and pulled something out. Sam smiled at Xander as he tossed a pair of jeans at the brunette "Here, these should fit"

Xander smiled gratefully "Much appreciated" he glanced around the room "Um... I don't s'pose there's anywhere..."

"Take a left out of the door" Sam said "And the bathrooms are about twenty yards down the hallway"

Sam saw Buffy roll her eyes and smile as Xander made a hasty exit. "His first time in drag?" Sam asked.

"As far as I know" Buffy replied, still smiling "I make it my business not to know too much about what he and Anya get up to in their private life"

"Anya?"

"His girlfriend" Buffy explained, then she saw slightly surprised look on Sam's face "Ohh, you though me an' Xan were..." Buffy said slowly "Uh... no. We're just friends. Nothing untoward going on"

"Sorry, it's just usually people who've been involved for a long time that make the best candidates for leaping. Stronger links" Sam explained, sitting back down on the bed "It makes it barely impossible to separate during the transfers" then he added, "I know QL2 only leaps in pairs"

"Then they must have a pretty strong link" Al interjected, raising an eyebrow.

Sam ignored Al's pointed comment. "And you're young too. Both of you. No offence, but I don't understand how you got through the selection panel"

"Ah... well, here's the thing. We didn't go through any panel"

"You didn't?"

"We kinda got sucked in by accident and now we can't get back until they track down to the last detail where they got us from" Buffy paused "I have so many responsibilities back home..." she trailed off, smiling sadly "It's hard not to worry". Buffy tried to smile a little brighter "So... how did you get into all this?"

Sam looked at Al who just held up his hands. Sam looked back to Buffy and smiled wryly "It's like this..."

-------------------

Xander untied the tails of the shirt he was wearing and buttoned them back up so it hung properly over the jeans he was now wearing. He grabbed the skirt that he'd draped over the door of the stall and unlocked the door, exiting the cramped cubicle and going over towards the sinks.

Looking in one of the many mirrors that hung above the sinks, Xander readjusted the jeans around his waist and hips and then stared back at his reflection. //OK. I'd like to thank Sloggi for making comfortable women's underwear 'cos I'm not that sure about going commando in somebody else's stuff//. 

Xander sighed as he brushed his hair back off his face, hoping that if he looked long enough into the mirror, looked into Katherine's own brown eyes, that he might see something of himself in them. But he couldn't. It was just Katherine's pretty face that stared back at him, Katherine's eyes that blinked when he did and Katherine's lip that moved when he chewed on his bottom lip.

And Katherine's eyebrows that raised when two girls came barrelling through the door an almost into him, not even giving him a second glance before they started pulling off the T-shirts they were wearing and scrabbling around in the bags they'd been carrying.

Xander suddenly found trying to do something with his/Katherine's hair extremely interesting - or in other words hoping that they wouldn't notice where his eyes were straying as they apparently found just standing around in their underwear whilst swapping clothes, completely acceptable.

He bit down a grin //And Buffy said there was evil in the girls room//.

Xander left just after the girls rushed out of the room as quickly as they had come in. Realising that maybe there were some perks to being a girl after all, a small grin appeared on Xander's face as he strolled back to Michael/Sam's room.

Completely unaware that he was being watched. 

And not by someone who was a leaper or a holographic projection.

He was being watched by someone who had a strong dislike for Michael Holditch and a penchant for knives... 

... and pretty blonde girls.

-------------------

__

(Two days later - evening)

"Uh Xand?" Buffy stopped in her tracks, as she just happened to glance through the open door to Katherine's room "What are you doing?"

Xander was sitting on the floor in front of the standing mirror in just a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt, with one leg bent up towards him at an angle, as he appeared to be examining it. "Oh, Buff" Xander craned his neck around towards her "You have to see this" he looked back to his leg "It's so cool"

Buffy stepped into the room "Your leg?"

"Uh huh" Xander tapped the mirror "This is so weird, look"

"Xander" Buffy crouched down beside him and looked at his reflection in the mirror "Why am I looking at your leg?"

"'Cos look" he prodded his own leg "See? Hairs all over the place on *my* leg and yet none on the leg in the reflection"

Buffy bent further over Xander so she could look more closely at the reflection of Xander's leg in the mirror. "Oh yeah. Y'know she probably waxes" Buffy sat back down on the floor next to Xander "Although it's more just *interesting* than 'weird' and 'cool'"

"OK, what about the fact that I have stubble and Katherine doesn't, huh?"

"All right, I'll admit I'd be *surprised* if Katherine had five o'clock shadow". Then Buffy smiled at Xander "And I'll admit that it's nice to see you a little bit happier. It was a good thought of Sam's to loan you some of Michael's clothes"

"And the sheer entertainment value of seeing me in a skirt and heels...?"

"We all have to make sacrifices"

"Lovely pyjama's Buffy" Sean said dryly as he graced them both with his presence "How many shades of pink is that?"

"I stopped counting when I ran out of fingers" Buffy replied looking down at her clothes and grimacing slightly before looking back at Sean "But the others had Forever Friends bears on - I didn't even want to go there"

Xander looked at Sean questioningly "Methinks Sean isn't just here to make fun of us Buffster. He has 'pissed off' face"

"I was going for extremely pissed off face actually" Sean replied.

"Then you should grind your teeth more" Buffy suggested "What's up?"

"They're thinking about pulling me out" Sean told them "Just for this leap though". He sighed "Were still getting the intermittent problem with the information 'cos the two systems aren't correlating like they should be. It's very annoying and it's hindering us getting to the bottom of why you're all still here. At least one lot of us should have leapt out by now" Sean sighed again "And having two hologram systems running is getting to be more and more of a factor"

"They won't pull out Al?" Xander asked.

Sean shook his head "Al has seniority. *No* *one* is more senior than Al. He's been with Sam for, like, *ever*"

"Um question?" Xander raised his hand "Can I just ask why you're actually running two systems if we're all working for the same project?"

"Because the original Quantum Leap project that Sam started up and couldn't wait to test out is dated" Sean explained "The system is old. It's only running to keep Sam sustained. The computers, the technology... we've updated it as much as anyone is prepared to do"

"Prepared to?" Buffy frowned.

"Sam built it. Sam knows it inside out. Sam's the only one who can figure out what the bug is - or whatever it is - that won't leap him home. And Ziggy - their system - can't handle more than one leaper or hologram" Sean carried on "That's why *our* program was instituted. Quantum Leap Two. All of Samuel Beckett's plans for the original project were followed - only we used bigger and better equipment and well, adjusted it a little. We were and still are able to leap people in and out as much as we can - into themselves, into other people - and we can bring them out when ever we want-"

"-provided you know where you got them from" Xander added.

"Exactly" Sean clarified "And we can stream our leaps. Put people in where they're most wanted, where their skills will be most valuable etcetera etcetera". Sean sighed "My brain hurts now"

"Mine too" Buffy said, "The shorter answer would've been fine"

"That was the short answer"

"In that case" Xander raised his hand again "Is there any chance we're nearer to finding out why we're still here. On either system?"

"We definitely know it's still to do with the knife guy. Terry Bookerson" Sean told them both "But it's still unclear on who his next victim is"

"So there's going to be another victim?" Xander asked, "That's not good. What if it looks like it's gonna be one of us?"

"Yeah" Buffy added, "I'm not happy about the fact that this guy is out there. Why can't we just get the police onto him now?"

"And have them charge him with what?" Sean pointed out "Looking a bit dodgy?"

"OK. Point taken" Buffy replied "But still... what do we do?"

"Sit tight?" Sean suggested "We get even the slightest whiff of anything, I'll be straight back here"

"Great" Xander muttered as Sean vanished. "Sit tight?" he looked at Buffy "You'd think with all these brilliant computers Sean keeps telling us they have, the information would always be at hand"

"It does seem odd that they don't always know what's going on" Buffy pondered "Yet always have the information just in time to stop either of us getting killed"

"Just bitten and blown up"

Buffy hadn't needed Xander to point that out. She realised what she'd said the moment the words had passed her lips and her thoughts had immediately flashed back to days ago when she'd been rudely sobered up by the fact that the man sitting before her now had been bleeding to death at her feet.

"Hey, you OK?" Xander asked, seeing the slight frown that appeared on Buffy's face, as she seemed to drift off for a second. He put a hand on her arm "What?"

"Just stuff" Buffy's gaze drifted away from his.

"Stuff I should know about?" 

Xander's tone was light, but Buffy detected the concern that lay underneath it. She looked back at him and smiled fondly "Just that this time I promise I'm gonna do my best to see you don't get hurt" Buffy said "That no one gets hurt"

"Sounds good" Xander matched her smile "Just so long as I can do the same. And about other people too". 

As Buffy smiled a little wider, Xander held her look for a moment before he realised that he was actually *holding* her gaze. He blinked and his smile slipped easily into a goofy grin "So, come on" he said, hoping that the change was subtle enough - Buffy hadn't seemed to notice anyway - "We need to find something else to do" Xander continued "Because, not that looking at my leg wasn't fun, but..." he trailed off "You got any ideas?"

"Not really" Buffy kicked her legs out in front of her, just nudging Xander's "TV?"

"It's all the way downstairs" Xander pointed out "Plus I think Patrick's watching porn on it anyway"

"Then I guess he's best left alone" Buffy responded "OK, uh, what does that leave?"

"Stains probably" Xander joked. His grin faded with Buffy's withering look. Xander cleared his throat "Sorry I'm out of ideas"

Buffy's eyes widened "Ooh, we could pretend this is a slumber party and we could swap makeup tips" she grinned "I could give you a total makeover"

This time Xander shot Buffy a withering look. Until he noticed that her grin hadn't faded. "Oh my God. You're serious" he waved his finger at her "Nuh uh. No way"

"Pleeaase?" Buffy whined "It'll be fun. I promise". Buffy let her lower lip jut out a little in a pout "Pleeaase?"

"*No*"

Buffy pouted a little more and tried for the puppy-dog look "Please?"

"No"

"Please?" Buffy began playing with a stray lock of hair.

"No, no and no"

Buffy let her lower lip quiver a little "Pleeaase?"

"No way in hell"

-------------------

"... and you have to remember to moisturise, 'cos it helps your foundation sit better on your skin". Buffy rubbed the last little smidgen of moisturiser into Xander's cheek. She drew back and saw the slightly pained look he was giving her. Buffy ignored him "You're the one who gave in" she pointed out.

"Buffy, I gave in 'cos I was scared that if your eyes had gotten any wider, you'd be animé"

Xander was sitting with his back up against the bed and his legs stretched out in front of him. Buffy was sitting by his left hip, one leg tucked underneath herself and the other leg bent up and over both of Xander's so her foot was on the floor by his right side.

"Well, I learnt it from Willow who claims she got it from you, so nyah" Buffy refrained from sticking her tongue out though. She rummaged through he huge vanity case that stored Katherine's make up "D'ya want liquid foundation or cream, 'cos she hasn't got one of those three in one stick things"

"Neither?"

Buffy turned back round to him "Once more with enthusiasm"

"I believe I only agreed to cleanse, tone and moisturise"

"Kohl?" Buffy waved a stubby black pencil in his face.

"Buffy" Xander said patiently.

"It'll bring out your eyes". She produced something else "Mascara? This one doesn't clump"

"Buffy"

"Actually, I don't think you need it. You've got lashes to die for anyway..." Buffy trailed off when she saw the patient look Xander was still giving her. She sighed and deflated a little. "What?"

"It's one o'clock in the morning. I'm tired. I attended two classes today on a subject I know nothing about - luckily I had Sean to answer any questions that might be thrown my way - but I still had to take notes. And now I just want to go to sleep"

"Ugh" Buffy sighed "I'm sorry. It just... I guess I'm-"

"A little antsy? Guy with a knife might be lurking about?"

Buffy nodded "Plus everytime I go into Kelly's room I want to vomit"

"So trying to make me the next Cosmo cover girl is just your way of avoiding pastel?"

"Yup" Buffy leant a little on Xander as she got to her feet "But I guess fears have to be confronted" she stretched and yawned "If you hear retching - now you know". Buffy got about as far as the door before she stopped and turned back around "Um... Xan?" she cleared her throat "Can I stay here? We can go head to toe again. Then we can both keep an eye out for badness"

Xander had just sat himself cross-legged on the bed. He looked at Buffy warily when he saw her bottom lip begin to jut out. "If I say no" he said "Are you gonna get so animé, they'll have to give you a series?"

"I'll even have my own annoying title theme *and* *I'll* sing it"

"Fine. Stay here" Xander threw her a pillow "If only to avoid your version of 'Gotta Slay 'em all'"

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

Xander pushed the cover from over his head and groaned sleepily. He opened one eye and peered out at the red LED light of the digital clock on the beside table. Xander groaned again when he realised that he'd slept right through the alarm call he'd set and was now half an hour late for a class he was supposed to fake being interested in.

He glanced down to the other end of the bed. Buffy wasn't there. Xander yawned as got up, absently running a hand through his mussed hair to smooth it down. Still wearing the boxers and t-shirt from the previous night, he shuffled his way to the bathroom, remembering what Sam had told him about not even thinking about the physics of how *Katherine* looked when nature came-a-calling.

Xander yawned again as he made his way downstairs, mumbling a "Mornin'" to Sheena who passed him on the way up, before heading into the kitchen, looking for Buffy.

But Buffy wasn't there. Instead he saw Patrick writing something on a scrap of paper. 

Patrick looked up and then screwed up the paper. "OK. You've just saved me having to write you an essay as a note. Uh, Kelly said she had to get to class and told me not to wake you up for yours. Said that she's already asked Michael to take notes or something for you so you didn't miss anything. Then she said something weird like 'Tell her not to go anywhere unless Sean calls'. Yeah I think that was it. *And* your mom called and said she was gonna drop by this morning".

"... 'kay" Xander couldn't really say much more as Patrick beat a hasty retreat. Xander scratched his head and wandered over to the fridge, taking out some juice and then headed out of the kitchen and into the living room and was about to sit down when the doorbell rang.

"Ugh. Great" Xander groaned "It's just my luck to have to deal with the parents". Xander took a deep breath and set the juice carton down on the table by the door before he opened the door...

... and was immediately enveloped in a bone crushing hug by a pink chiffon wearing woman in her fifties who seemed to have drowned herself in Chanel.

"Oooh darling, I haven't seen you in an absolute *age*. The woman drew back and clamped her hands either side of Xander's face and drew his head down so she could plant a wet kiss in the middle of his forehead. "And how is my beautiful little girl?" she looked Xander up and down "Oh my, what on *earth* are you wearing?"

Xander managed prise himself from her grasp "Clothes?"

"Yes, I can see that darling" she looked Xander up and down again "But they're not *yours* are they dear?" a sly smile graced her lips "Does my baby have a man that she's not told me about? Is he still here?"

Xander groaned internally "No, mom. No guy. They're just clothes that I happened to put on"

"Well dear" she brushed past him "In that case you really should put on a brassiere. Gravity is not your friend"

There was really no answer to that. Xander followed the older woman into the living room "Why are you here?"

"I know I'm early sweetie, but we've had this little shopping trip arranged for *ages*. Surely you can't have forgotten?"

//Why me? What have I *ever* done?//. "Shopping?"

Katherine's mother sighed exasperatedly and grabbed hold of his arm before he had chance to move out of the way "Shopping. Remember? Where you spend money on lots of clothes?" she began to pull him gently towards the stairs "And as you've decided to not go to the classes today that your father and I are paying good money for, you can just go and get dressed and we'll go now"

"But I can't go" Xander planted his feet firmly on the floor "I've got to wait for a phone call"

"Which you have just got" Sean grinned at Xander from over the woman's shoulder "Have fun and remember you can't take underwear back"

"A phone call? Katherine darling, I'm sure if it's that important, they'll call you back later. Go on" she started to shoo him "Go and get dressed"

"Xander, we're still all in sit tight mode. Buffy's got Al watching over her and Sam's pretty good at taking care of himself. If we get anything, we're gonna tell you"

"I really don't want to go shopping" Xander still stood firm, ignoring the despairing look Katherine's mother was giving him.

Sean coughed loudly and Xander shot him a quick look over the older woman's shoulder. "Xander, you need to have some fun" Sean said "And I'm gonna say three words" he added "Communal. Changing. Rooms"

"Y'know what mom?" Xander said "Give me ten minutes"

-------------------

__

(Two hours later)

Buffy turned around when she felt some one tap her on the shoulder. She looked up and saw Sam and smiled. "Hey, how's it going" she asked him as he fell into step with her as they walked down the bustling hallway "Heard anything?"

"Al's not got back to me yet" Sam told her "How'd your class go?"

"Fine. Just tried to be invisible and wrote down everything that was said". Buffy raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light as they emerged from the lecture hall and outside "Although I'd like to find myself sometime just being able to relax on a leap and not end up doing something I've just gotten away from"

"University?" Sam glanced across at her.

"Well, that too" Buffy replied "But I meant the other stuff" she paused "In a manner of speaking"

"Manner of speaking?" Sam's brow furrowed, although he didn't press too much "Sounds like you have an interesting life"

"And it's about to get a hell of a lot more so Sam" Al said anxiously, appearing beside them both "It's bad news"

Sam grabbed Buffy's arm, taking her by surprise and he took led her to one side out of the way of the students milling around. "What's wrong Al?"

"We've found out who the next victim is"

"What is it?" Buffy asked Sam anxiously "What's going on?"

"There's gonna be another murder" Sam told her sombrely. He looked back to Al "Who?"

Al shot a sad look at Buffy even though she couldn't see him. Al looked at Sam "The body was finally identified as belonging to Katherine Hobbs"

-------------------

__

(Five minutes earlier - before the bad news hit)

"I am *so* going to hell" Xander mumbled to himself as he took the numbered tag from the shop assistant as he made his way into this fifth changing room of the morning. Xander turned the corner into the changing room and tried not to stare too much at the two young women changing infront of the mirror wall. //And, oh look, all the cubicles are full//.

He'd had to spend time in one of those little cubicles the first time he'd told Katherine's mother he was just going to "see if they look all right on", because it hadn't been a communal fitting room. The second one though, he'd hit jackpot when he'd got there the same time as a group of three women, all apparently friends and not adverse to whipping off their tops infront of each other.

Of course he hadn't been able to just stand there and hold the clothes that he'd bought in to 'try'. Xander had kept on the boxers he'd woken up in and then pulled on a pair of jeans loaned to him by Sam, which were a little tighter than he was used to wearing but Buffy said he looked fine in them. Then came the crunch decision. Gravity really wasn't Katherine's friend, but there was no way in hell he was putting on a bra unless it was life or death. Deciding that he really did want to experience the changing rooms, Xander had found a sporty-crop top type vest thing (he had no idea what to call it) and had put that on (eyes closed) and then slipped one of Katherine's tighter t-shirts on. The training shoes he wore had also been loaned to him by Sam from Michael's wardrobe.

So Xander had just taken tops in to the fitting room, mainly shirts that he decided that Katherine really should have more of if she was going to get leapt into by another male leaper. //In all honesty I'm providing a good service here. I'm being thoughtful and thinking of the future... // Xander found his attention wandering to one of the females a few feet away //...and god bless the thong, for the thong is Master and Destroyer of VPL//. 

Xander's gaze lingered on the pretty brunette's thigh that had caught his attention before one of her friends suddenly flashed him an odd look and Xander immediately found everything else but the people in the room, fascinating. Slowly his gaze returned to Katherine's reflection, then he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. //I really am going to hell. Buffy is going to find out. She'll tell Anya and then I'll never know the touch of a woman again//.

"Xander get changed and move your ass out of here"

Xander's eyes snapped open at the ominous tone in Sean's voice. He met the hologram's eyes in the mirror and saw the anxious look the older man was giving him. Xander replied with a look of understanding and began to hurriedly discarded the shirt he'd been pretending to try on and shrugged on the one he'd come in with. Gathering up the clothes, he exited quickly from the fitting room, thrusting the clothes and the tag at the assistant before heading towards the front of the shop.

"Not outside" Sean warned him, though, before he'd even gotten halfway. "Stay inside where there's people. Buffy and Sam are on their way here," Sean added, then he saw Xander shoot him a questioning look. Sean hesitated a moment before replying "Look, Xander. It's not good news" he told him "I need you to ditch Katherine's mom. Make something up. I don't care. Just anything so you can get out of here without hangers on when Buffy and Sam arrive"

Xander processed all this. "I just knew someone would find some way to punish me"

-------------------

Buffy hit her fist against the dashboard of Michael's car then she hit the button that slid the window down. "Come on assholes!" Buffy yelled out of the window " Don't you know where your gas pedals are?!"

Sam couldn't help but flinch and try to sink back lower into the car seat as several pairs of eyes focused on the both. "The lights are on red Buffy" Sam pointed out gently "They're going as fast as we are"

"Well I don't care!" Buffy turned to face him, her eyes flashing "It's not good enough"

"Buffy, just try and keep calm, OK?" Sam replied, although one of his own hands was beginning to tap impatiently on the steering wheel.

"Man, I wonder what she's like when she's got PMS" Al remarked, his face suddenly appearing mid-windscreen.

"Anything new?" Sam asked him.

"Huh?" Buffy shot Sam a puzzled look.

"No, uh, not you. Al" Sam indicated where Al was. "So, anything?" Sam asked Al again, putting the car in gear as the traffic began to move off "Sean's got things covered?"

Al nodded "Keeping him in public view 'til you get there". Then Al shot an apprehensive look at Sam "But I still don't see just how you plan on stopping this crazy by simply taking-". Suddenly Al stopped, as if he was listening to something else before his attention quickly turned to the little coloured device that he held in his hand.

Sam frowned at Al's anxious look. "What is it?" he asked.

"You're being followed" Al informed him.

Sam just glanced briefly into the rear-view mirror as the car continued to move along in the slow traffic. He couldn't see anything suspicious. "Who is it?"

"Y'know these one sided conversations are *really* beginning to get annoying" Buffy interjected.

"We're being followed. *Don't* turn around" Sam added quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder as well. He looked back to Al, his hand drifting back to the steering wheel as the traffic began to pick up pace "Is it Bookerson?"

"Some friends of his" Al mumbled around the cigar he'd just put back in his mouth. "They're about four cars back. A dark blue Buick" Al looked again at the device in his hand "Two guys-" he tapped a few keys "Yep, they're in cohorts with Terry Bookerson alright. Hired heavies"

Sam repeated all this to Buffy. "Great" she groaned in frustration "So what do we do now?" Buffy asked "We are *so* not leading them to Xander. I can tell you that *now*"

"The thought had crossed my mind too" Sam murmured, trying to think of something else. 

"God, I hate this" Buffy swiped a hand over her face and then into her hair, pushing it back as she looked into the driver's mirror on her side, and just catching sight of the blue Buick. "I see them Sam"

"OK. Just keep an eye on them while I try and figure a way to get out of this" Sam said "Al, let QL2 know and tell them I've got to lose these guys first" Sam glanced into the mirror again.

"If you make the next right turn" Al directed him "You'll end up on a fairly deserted street. They might not follow you up there"

"But we'll also be blocks away from where Xander is" Sam pointed out. He looked to Buffy "Al says the next street is deserted. If we turn up there, we might lose them if they think they might be found out"

"And we might not" Buffy argued "I don't like this Sam. If Katherine is supposed to be this Terry's next victim, they why are they following us?" she reasoned "And not following Xander?"

Sam's brow furrowed "Al, check out the stats again" he asked his friend "Find out the exact-" Sam paused briefly when he saw the turn coming up "-circumstances of the death if you can-"

"Are you gonna take the turn or not" Buffy asked, interrupting, not taking her eyes from the mirror and the reflection of the Buick.

"Yeah" Sam flipped on the indicator "Al, I know you can be... persuasive when you need to be. Now is the time" Sam slowed down as he began to turn the steering wheel " Michael is still involved in this. There has to be another reason other than Michael was just in the wrong place at the wrong time" Sam was now driving along the other road "I beginning to think" he continued "That something isn't sitting right"

Buffy's eyes were still on the mirror, looking for their pursuers. "Sam" she said slowly "They haven't come up here. They've gone straight on"

"Good" Sam said, relief in his voice "It'll give us a chance to try and think of something else". Sam glanced at Al who had been studiously examining his link to Ziggy "Uh... Al? You're still here"

Al just held up a finger, signalling Sam to wait for a moment while he tried to read the information that what was now coming thick and fast. "Sam, you're still being followed"

"Damn" Sam cursed "Buffy, check the mirrors again. Al say's we're still being followed"

"White VW van?" Buffy asked. She glanced across at Sam who nodded when Al confirmed Buffy's query. "They must have been further back. Great, so much for thinking time..." Buffy then trailed off when she glimpsed the passenger in the VW speak into something that looked suspiciously like a radio. A nagging feeling started in the pit of her stomach "Sam" Buffy said warily "Can we find out where that other car went?"

Sam shot a look at Al who cursed and gave Sam an ominous look. "They've circled round" Al said.

"Can we lose either of them?" Sam asked. Then he saw the blue Buick pull around the corner of the block. It started to slow down as it travelled towards them and as the white VW behind them closed the distance, the Buick pulled to a stop straight across the road infront of them, blocking their path.

Sam had no choice but to bring Michael's car to a stop. He glanced at Buffy, who's face was eerily defiant. Sam watched as two figures in black climbed out of the car infront of him. Sam exhaled slowly. "Oh boy"

Buffy shot him an angry look. "Next time *I* drive"

-------------------

__

(Meanwhile)

"Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohfuckingcrap"

Xander was waiting in a quieter area of the store, having extricated himself from Katherine's mother and was now waiting for Buffy and Sam's arrival. Sean had gone for a few minutes but had now suddenly reappeared and the flow of curses from his mouth, needless to say, had Xander worried.

"What is it?" Xander hissed anxiously, ignoring the few odd glances he got.

"Really, really bad stuff" Sean replied "Follow me and I'll fill you in"

Xander started after him "I thought I was supposed to be waiting for Buffy?"

"Remember how I told you that we hadn't been able to get anything out of Michael 'cos he was shit scared? Well he finally started spilling stuff. I had a whole load of info suddenly coming at me on Gizmo that's why I had to go - I thought something was wrong with the system again. Turns out it wasn't"

Xander was nearing the exit of the store now "What else did you find out?" Xander asked "And where's Buffy if she's not here?"

Sean deliberately ignored Xander's last question for the time being. "We found out why Bookerson is after Michael. Turns out that Michael owes Bookerson's employers money. *Lot's* of money. Gambling debts mostly and some other assorted stuff. Michael's been trying to pay it off but he's missed the last couple of payments and seeing as how these guys are not the sharks willing to give you a bit of leeway, they sent Bookerson after Michael to, uh, persuade him"

"If they were still after Michael" Xander said, as he now walked quickly along the sidewalk out of the store "Why did Katherine get killed"

Sean hesitated "She didn't" he said finally. "We checked. The body was identified as Katherine" he paused again "What was left of the body anyway"

Xander paled and stopped in his tracks. He got jostled from behind as somebody shot him a dirty look before going on his way. Xander stared at Sean "Left?"

"Katherine and Kelly's mom, was only able to identify an arm - and only from jewellery left on the fingers and a scrap of fabric from clothing. Things that were apparently Katherine's. It's was Hobbs DNA..." Sean trailed off.

"Kelly" Xander whispered. "Buffy said she'd taken some things from Katherine's wardrobe..." Xander swallowed hard "Buffy... she's not..."

"No" Sean's tone was tentative "But... she's been taken hostage". Sean silently cursed when he saw the look of utter horror on Xander's face. "They're using her as an incentive for Michael to come up with the money. *All* of it" Sean said. He paused while Xander took a step back, leaning up against a store window, giving the brunette a chance to process everything. "Xander. We need to get moving"

"And Sam?"

"That's why we're moving" Sean replied "They ambushed Buffy and Sam on their way here. They tried to fight back, but the bad guys had guns and Sam got beat pretty bad. He's waiting for us where they were stopped"

A determined look settled on Xander's face "I guess we'd better get moving then"

-------------------

Xander met up with Sam after Xander had sprinted seven to where Sam was leaning with his back against a low wall off the sidewalk a few feet from Michael's car. Xander automatically winced when he saw the blood tricking from a large gash over Sam's right temple. There were the beginnings of some nasty bruises along his jawbone and also blood around his nose. "Jesus" Xander said softly as he crouched with Sam as the other man just sat for a while, gathering himself. Xander looked around and saw a couple walking towards them; beginning to get interested in the situation "Can you walk?"

Sam nodded "I tried to stop them" he said as he wrapped an arm around his stomach, standing with Xander's help. "Apparently my spinning kicks aren't as effective as they used to be. I'm really getting too old for this"

Xander draped Sam's arm over his shoulder and had his other arm around Sam's waist as he helped him towards the car "I take it Al's filled you in?" Xander said.

"Yeah" Sam replied, leaning against the door "And I got told by Bookerson's guys that I had until midnight tonight to bring the cash. All of it"

"Which we don't have" Xander helped Sam into the car "Do you need to go to the hospital or can you manage?"

"I can manage" Sam assured him. He met Xander's eyes as Xander climbed into the driver's seat. "We'll get her back OK?"

"Oh I don't doubt that" Xander said, steely determination in his eyes as he slammed the door "And if even *one* of those guys lays so much as a finger on her, I'll rip their spleen out through their nose"

"Now that's a manoeuvre I'd like to see" Al said, taking the cigar out of his mouth as he appeared mid-windscreen "Their guy Sean is going to stick with her as much as he can". Al then shot a quick look at Xander as he started the car then al looked back to Sam. "They gave her a pretty good crack on the skull Sam" Al told him "She's out for the count. But otherwise, she's OK" he paused "But I wouldn't suggest telling him that just yet" Al indicated Xander. "I've got the feeling he won't need any more incentive other than the fact that she's just not here"

-------------------

__

(A while later)

Buffy awoke as she was being carried out of the van and she immediately closed her eyes again when she realised her brain was trying to explode out of her ears. It was then that she remembered being hit - hard. She tried hard to stifle a groan as her head continued to throb painfully.

Sam had told her to stay in the car and he'd gotten out and gone over to the guys who'd pulled infront of them. Then she'd sworn when one of them pulled a gun. Everything after that seemed a blur. Sam had fought back and had been doing OK, but one of the bigger guys had gotten a good blow on his back and Sam had gone down. She'd been dragged from the car at gunpoint and cold steel had been pressed up against her temple whilst Sam was still getting beat. Then they'd been given directions as to how much money was wanted, when it was wanted and what would happen if they didn't get it. She had been forced into the van and had been driven a short way before her world had gone black.

Buffy cautiously opened her eyes again and realised that she was being carried between two people. It was still light but the sun was low in the sky, signalling it was nearing dusk - which also meant she must have been travelling for a while. Buffy let her eyes flutter shut a little, lest her abductors decide to make her headache any worse, but she kept them open just enough so she could see out through her lashes. 

Buffy appeared to be being carried around the back of a building; flashing neon lights at the front and a few cars parked out front suggested that it could be a bar and Buffy could hear the faint strains of traffic travelling at speed.

And her captors weren't saying anything interesting, at least not anything she didn't already know or anything that would indicate where in the hell she was. Then she heard a familiar voice over the tops of theirs. Mainly because it was loud in her ear.

"Hey Buffy" Sean was smiling at her, trying not to let the worry show on his face, but Buffy could see it around the edges of his lips and in his eyes. "Good to see you. We're working on a plan, OK?" Sean carried on "Just hang in there"

-------------------

__

(Dusk. Katherine and Kelly's abode)

Sam stared at Xander as the younger man came down the stairs. "Do you mind if I reiterate the fact that I think this plan is crazy?"

Xander ran a hand through his hair. He really wanted to be out of here. But they had strict instructions not to arrive before a certain time and they had ten minutes before it was really the earliest they could leave. "If it makes you feel better," Xander replied "I've had crazier ones that have worked"

Sam leant against the stair rail as Xander walked past him into the kitchen "How crazy?"

"Stealing from the US Military for one"

".......Okaay". Sam joined Xander in the kitchen and found the other man rummaging around in the cutlery drawer. "Xander, please don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing"

Xander turned around, a medium sized breadknife grasped in his hand "Fine. Then I won't tell you". Xander shut the drawer and grabbed a tea towel off the drainer and started to wrap the six-inch blade of the knife up.

"Xander I really don't think that-"

"Sam" Xander interrupted; setting both his hands down on the counter that came out into the middle of the kitchen, the knife still in one hand. "Do you honestly have a better idea?"

Sam hesitated. "Not honestly, no" he replied "But I think that we should involve the police"

"We are involving the police" Xander shot back.

"But not until it could be too late" Sam closed the distance between himself and Xander, standing himself infront of the counter opposite the other man "Or until you decide to give Mr Bookerson a taste of his own medicine"

"Purely self defence" Xander picked up the knife and held it up "Promise"

"Uh huh" Sam's hand shot out and grabbed hold of Xander's wrist of his knife-holding hand "Xander" Sam said evenly "We're not playing games here. This could end up being life or death"

"Life or death isn't new to me Sam" Xander wrestled his wrist from Sam's grasp "Not to me or to Buffy" Xander stalked away from Sam and out of the kitchen "Now I'm prepared to do this without you" Xander continued, knowing Sam was following him. Xander stood infront of the mirror "But it's gonna be a damn sight easier if I don't have to do it alone" Xander met Sam's eyes in the mirror "So?"

-------------------

__

(Half an hour later)

Sam and Xander had travelled west bound out of the city and were now pulling onto the parking lot of a truck stop. Sam drove the car into an empty space and turned off the engine. He sat staring ahead for a moment then turned to Xander. "Point of no return I guess"

Xander took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly "Buffy's definitely knows what we're gonna be doing?"

Sam nodded in conformation "Relayed through our respective projects". He paused. "I'm not sure these guys are gonna buy my act for long. Especially with what I've got to give them" he gestured to the brown paper wallet that laid on top of the dashboard.

Xander picked up the package and handed it to Sam. "It's all we've got to give them. And I think the fact that you're turning up there alone like they said, might lend something our way" then he added "Plus it's my act that we want them to buy". Xander opened the passenger door and started to climb out.

"You *definitely* sure you're going to be able to get a ride?"

"I think I've got it under control Sam" Xander replied "Just make sure you give me at least a half hour head start" Xander paused "Good luck"

"You too" Sam replied as Xander let the car door slam shut. He watched the other man walk up to the road café that formed part of the stop off area. "Tell me something Al" he spoke to the hologram that had just appeared "I've never had an idea like this have I?"

"Nope" Al mumbled around his cigar "You're pretty sane"

-------------------

__

(Outside 'Pooley's' bar twenty minutes later)

"OK" Xander said firmly "Either you remove your hand from my thigh or I'm going to have to break your fingers"

The balding, middle aged guy, who'd let Xander hitch a lift with him, just leered at Xander. "Oh come on little girly, I ain't doing *aghowwww*! Jesus Christ!"

"And this is just me squeezing tightly" Xander smiled thinly as he gripped the man's offending fingers in his left hand, opening the passenger door with his right.

"Aww come on" the guy pleaded and then winced when Xander released his fingers. "You really are *ow* a strong girl"

"You don't know the half of it" Xander shoved the door open quickly and got out "Thanks for the ride anyway" Xander managed a half apologetic smile "You're saving a life". Xander ignored the odd look the man gave him before he let the door slam shut, not looking back as he started the small journey up towards the entrance to 'Pooley's'. 

"Oh my God" cam a voice from beside Xander "I'd be laughing my ass off if this wasn't deadly serious"

"Well feel free to laugh it up afterwards" Xander replied, stopping and turning to Sean "How's Buffy?"

"Holding up" Sean replied truthfully "Now straight to business" he continued "There's one guy sitting at the bar" Sean said as he followed Xander inside "He wasn't in on the ambush but he's with Bookerson. A look out guy"

"Which one is he?" Xander murmured as quietly as he could.

"The one who pitched a tent in his pants the moment you walked in this place" Sean replied "Although, looking around, that could be any one of the guys in here at the moment". Sean indicated a young, Italian guy sitting by the bar with a couple of empty shot glasses infront of him. "That's Gianni"

"Gotcha" Xander's voice was barely audible as he deliberately made fleeting eye contact with Gianni before focusing his attention more on the guy behind the bar as Xander headed towards the counter.

The bartender took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked Xander up and down appreciatively. Of course he wasn't seeing a twenty-year-old brunette guy in drag. 

He was seeing a six foot tall, beautiful, blonde girl wearing a black leather mini skirt; a barely there, stretchy, black lace top which showed the skin underneath in all the right places, save for what the black satin bra underneath covered; knee high black leather boots over fishnets; a mid-length black leather coat and the finishing touch of make up consisting of dark red lipstick and dark kohl around the eyes. 

"And how can I help you" the bar tender leered at Xander.

Xander decided that now was the time for him to say goodbye completely to his pride and anything else that might prove a stumbling block if he was going to pull this off. He took a mental deep breath and spoke; raising his voice just a little, even though he knew Katherine's voice was the one everyone was going to be hearing.

"You haven't seen a woman come in here in the last couple of hours?" Xander asked "Pretty, dark hair, about my height?"

The bartender shook his head "Sorry sweetheart. Haven't seen anyone like that in here for a *long* while"

"Well that's just typical of her" Xander put his hands on his hips and huffed "She's the one who told me to be here, *half* an *hour* ago I might add, and where's *she* huh?"

"I always say you can't trust women"

Xander turned to Gianni who had just spoken. "You are so right". Xander sat down at a stool one away from Gianni at the bar "I mean, I have my cell phone too and no calls *at* *all*. Xander leant one forearm on the bar so he was facing Gianni and then crossed one leg over the other. "I have wasted so much time getting out here tonight" Xander continued, turning to the bartender, who still hadn't taken his eyes off Xander's chest "Can I get a JD and coke?" Xander asked, then he turned back to Gianni "I'm sorry. You don't really want to hear me bitch about my ex do you?"

Gianni spluttered. "Your ex... *girl*friend?"

"Wanted to see if we could give it another go" Xander replied nonchalantly "Obviously *she* had second thoughts". Xander stopped "Are you OK? Your eyes have gone really wide"

"Y-you're a lesbian?"

Xander took a five-dollar note from Katherine's purse and laid it by the drink that had been placed by his elbow. "Well I won't lie to you" Xander replied, taking the drink and downing it in one "I have been known to have sex with women". Xander put the glass back on the counter and then rolled his eyes. "Let me guess" he said, "Your entire experience with lesbians has been through porn? I'm right, aren't I?

"In a nutshell, yeah" Gianni replied "So... you don't... with men... ever?"

"Never" Xander replied "Although I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't switch sides. See if there really *is* a guy out there for me"

"Sweetheart" Gianni said with a smile, indicating the bartender to get Xander another drink "I don't think you're gonna have to look far"

-------------------

__

(Half an hour later)

Sam pulled into the car park out front of the bar and parked. He took the brown package off the passenger seat and got out. Sam stood looking at the building infront of him and could probably guess why it had been chosen. 'Pooley's' as the large neon sign above the door read, was slap-bang in the middle of nowhere.

Sam gripped the package tighter n his hand as he started to walk towards the entrance. The sun had set, but there was still enough light in the sky to see by and just as he stepped up to the door, it was opened and a large, thickset man emerged.

It was one of the men from earlier - the one who'd dragged Buffy from Michael's car. Sam met his eyes and the other man just gave him a thin smile. "Just checking to see if you turned up alone," the large man said, stepping aside from the door.

"You didn't exactly give me much choice" Sam responded as he walked past the other man and into the bar. He'd only gone a few steps when there was a hand on his shoulder.

"What's in the bag?"

"The money" Sam answered.

"Lets see" the guy pulled the package from underneath Sam's arm and tore a strip off the top so he could see inside. Sam said thanks that it was dark and smoky inside the place, because it meant that the other guy couldn't see as well as he might.

"Looks OK". He didn't give Sam back the package. "I hope you were smart enough to not bring any weapons"

"You can frisk me if you want" Sam replied, relived to that he'd also managed to convince Xander to leave behind the knife. Of course it had also been in his favour that Xander could find no where on his person to actually conceal the knife in the first place without I being seen "You aren't going to find anything on me"

"Smart kid". The man started to propel Sam forward.

"I wanna know where Kelly is," Sam said. In fact Sam already knew where 'Kelly' was he was just hoping that by asking, he wouldn't arouse suspicion. Al had informed them that Buffy and three other men, including Bookerson, were in an old storeroom that had been converted for gambling purposes. Apparently Bookerson was a 'valued customer' of the establishment and it was understood that he wasn't to be disturbed. It was unknown though whether anyone else other than Bookerson and his men knew that someone was being held hostage.

"Yer friend's fine" was the reply "For now anyway. Got Joe and Taylor keeping her company. I tell ya, she's a feisty little thing. Taylor tried to get inside her shirt and she kneed him in the balls so hard it brought tears to *my* eyes"

"Yeah, and I happen to know you gave her a slap for it as well" Al appeared by the bar counter "These guys are a bunch of assholes"

Sam quickly shot Al a worried look as he passed Xander apparently engrossed in conversation with a young guy in one of the booths. Sam didn't even give the brunette a glance. "Well I hope he learned his lesson" Sam said "And you shouldn't be laying a finger on her. Kelly has nothing to do with this". Sam winced when he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten and the other man's fingers pressed onto bruises he'd received earlier.

Al moved infront of Sam again "The guy manhandling you is Peter Cordale" Al paused as he started to walk next to Sam "Buffy's holding up Sam. They haven't tried anything else" Al paused again "Yet". Al caught the look Sam quickly darted his way. "I think that Bookerson guy has his eye on her for more than merely a hostage"

Sam cursed silently as he now neared the back of the bar towards two closed doors side by side. Peter let go of Sam's shoulder and opened the door on the left and stood on the other side, waiting for Sam to follow. Sam stepped through and found himself in a dimly lit space - hardly long enough to call a hallway. At the 'far end' was a fire exit that Sam noticed had numerous objects piled up against it, rendering it useless. The other door to Sam's right was shut - but Sam guessed that was where he was going. 

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I guess this is it"

-------------------

"Do you know where the ladies room in this place?" Xander said, "I think that last drink went straight through me" he faked a hiccup "I they're catching up to me too"

"To the back of the bar and take the door on the right"

"Thanks". Xander began to make his way to the back of the bar where he saw Sean hovering by the two doors.

"Buffy's through the left one" Sean said "Lovely performance by the way"

Xander headed through the door on the right, letting the door swing shut behind him before he spoke "That was the plan. Hook 'em so they stop paying attention to what they're supposed to be doing"

"Yeah? Well I think it's working better than you hoped" Sean replied "Gianni is now on his way through here"

"Well God damn". Xander started thinking fast "OK. Gianni has a gun. I want the gun. The gun is tucked in the back of his pants, so..."

"You've got to get in his pants" Sean added "Considering he was talking to your breasts the entire time you've been here, I shouldn't think it'd be to hard-difficult. I meant difficult"

Xander rolled his eyes "Thanks...". Xander sighed and then tried to look surprised when Gianni joined him. Xander then smiled and put his hands on his hips, putting his weight on one leg "Now I've got a feeling that you didn't come here 'cause nature called". Xander stepped close to Gianni "I'll bet you came in here to try your luck. See if you'd be the guy to convert the lesbian"

Gianni smiled widely at 'Katherine's' bluntness and took a step closer to Xander "I like a challenge"

"Y'know you're gonna have to be pretty convincing" Xander said, teasing. "I'm not *that* easy" he paused "Actually I didn't say no when Faith jumped me and Anya kinda just de-clothed herself and propositioned me-" Xander broke off when Gianni stepped right up close to him, invading his personal space. Xander tried not to tense. //Got a girl on the other side of this wall that needs rescuing...//.

Gianni put a hand on Xander's thigh and pulled Xander's hips flush with his. "Stop talking' already would ya girl?"

"Sure thing" Xander let his smile drop and before Gianni had time to react, Xander had kneed Gianni in the groin and as he doubled over, Xander slid his hand around Gianni's waist and under his jacket, snatching the gun that had been hidden.

Xander jabbed the gun hard into Gianni's stomach as the other guy tried to recover. "I seriously suggest" Xander hissed "That you don't make a single sound"

-------------------

"So Michael..." Terry Bookerson smiled thinly across the table at Sam, and the thin, but well muscled man, kicked his feet up on the table and leaned back in his seat. "I guess all we have to do now is let you and your little friend go"

"That was my general thinking" Sam replied. He looked over towards Buffy who was huddled in a corner of the room; her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms looped around them, her wrists tied tightly. Buffy's head rested against the wall next to her and even in the dim light of the room, Sam could make out bruises on her cheek and one on her temple that had a gash across the middle of it. She was also being 'guarded' by a Greek looking guy who looked like he seriously worked out. He had a gun that was pointed at Buffy.

Buffy looked at Sam and met his eyes. She smiled briefly before looking at one of the two large guys that hovered behind Sam. Namely the one who'd tried to feel her up earlier. "Then why aren't we going" she said, "You've got your money"

Peter handed Terry the package that he'd taken from Sam. "I had a quick look" Peter said, "It looks like it's all there"

Terry just put it on the table "I'm surprised you managed to get it all" he remarked "Seein' as how you've actually missed the last few payments"

"I won a couple of grand a week ago" Sam replied "I-I was going to give it to you then. The other is a small loan from the bank and some of it's from some friends"

"I hope you didn't tell these so-called friends why you needed it" Terry replied "That wouldn't have been sensible"

Sam was beginning to get impatient "Look. I haven't told anyone. You've got your money. Plus interest. Now I just want Kelly and to get out of here"

"I like Kelly" Terry said, ignoring Sam and his request "I was thinking of keeping her around"

"You can't be serious" Sam exclaimed. He caught Buffy's eye again, seeing the apprehensive look she gave him.

"I keep her instead of your payment" Terry continued "I'm sure Mr Howell would prefer a new girl for his business"

"Excuse me?!" Buffy interjected "Wow. A new job. And you guys haven't even seen my references"

There was a ghost of a smile on Sam's lips as he met Bookerson's eyes "Mr Howell isn't getting any new girl" Sam said evenly. "You've got your money. Kelly and I are going to go". Sam went to get up from his seat but a firm hand on his shoulder pushed him back down again.

"I don't think you understand Michael" Terry said "You aren't *getting* a choice. He looked at one of the men behind Sam. "Taylor, get Gianni in here" Terry instructed "He and Joe can take the girl out to the car while we have a few more... words-" there was a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes "-with Michael"

Taylor smirked at the back of Sam's head and turned to leave. He opened the door and took a step outside.

And came face to face with the business end of a Smith and Wesson.

Xander gave him a cold look. "Gianni couldn't make it"

As soon as he heard Xander, Sam took everyone else's momentary shock as the opportunity to shove the table forward, hard, unbalancing Terry from his chair and propelling him backwards into Joe. Buffy rolled over onto her side to stop Bookerson and Joe falling onto her. Joe's gun had almost dropped from his hand and as he fought to retain it, Buffy lashed out with her feet and knocked it completely from his hands and sent it skittling across the other side of the small room. Joe grasped his hand in pain and made a move for her, but Buffy kicked out at him again, just catching his jaw with her feet and she rolled out of the way.

Xander stepped forward, still holding the gun in Taylor's face. Sam was on his feet now and blocked a blow from Peter who stood behind Xander and Taylor, separating them from the rest. Sam blocked another blow and this time kept hold of Peter's arm, twisting it around the larger mans back and slamming him face first up against the nearest wall.

"OK. I'm thinking all of us should just stop and take a moment here" Xander spoke evenly as he manoeuvred Taylor back into the room. "I'm aware that maybe more than one of you in here has a gun. I suggest they get shown so we don't get all confused"

Bookerson got to his feet, holding out both his empty hands. He narrowed his eyes at Xander, who was still holding the gun at Taylor. "I've seen you before" he said "You're a friend of that idiot there" he nodded to where Sam stood, still pushing Peter up against the wall, Peter's arm twisted painfully up behind him. Terry smirked "Hey Michael, how 'bout I you let me take both these girls off your hands"

"Funny, but I don't see that happening" Xander retorted. "In fact we're all just gonna stay calm and make no sudden moves and the good guys are gonna leave"

Buffy finally managed to get to her feet, using the wall to slide herself up "Sounds like a good idea to me".

"Sounds bad to me" Joe was back on his feet. He shot out his arm and a gun flew into his palm from a spring loader strapped to his forearm. He clicked back the safety and aimed his sights at Buffy.

Bookerson raised an eyebrow "Well, well. Looks like we've got a little stand off here". He looked over to Sam "Let go of Peter, Michael. There's a good boy"

Sam shot a glance at Buffy, before sighing frustratedly and releasing his hold of Peter. Sam stood back and now looked between Xander and Buffy. Sam doubted Xander's expression had even wavered. The younger man was still holding the gun at Taylor who didn't seem quite sure whether to make a move or not. Buffy's expression didn't give anything away either. She was staring evenly at Joe; her hands, still tied, were bent up towards her and rested against her chest. Sam guessed these were two people who'd learned never to give anything away in times like this. And that made him wonder, just exactly how many times they'd done stuff like this.

"OK. As much as I'm loving this Reservoir Dogs moment" Sean's voice was the next one heard, "I think it's time to start negotiating"

Then it was Taylor's turn to speak. "Y'know Terry, I think Mr Howell will like this girl better anyway. Why don't we just shoot the guy and the other girl? And I'm sure we can all get as friendly with this one as we did with the other girl"

Xander's eyes flashed angrily and his gaze flickered over towards Buffy. Taylor took advantage of Xander's momentary lapse in concentration and let his right arm fly, out hard and Xander's gun holding hand, knocking the weapon from Xander's grasp. Xander snapped back to attention and immediately attempted to retaliate, but Taylor blocked Xander's blow and delivered on of his own, sending Xander backwards where he stumbled into Sam, unbalancing himself of the high heels of the boots he was wearing. Xander cursed loudly as he fell to the floor, his hands going out to break his fall. His only saving grace was that his eyes also fell... on something interesting.

Buffy shot a worried look Xander's way as she saw him taking a longer time than he should to get up, but her attention quickly focused back on the gun that was being pointed at her when the barrel of it was pressed closer to her face.

Joe grinned "Guess the rescue party just got crashed"

Terry smirked and shot an amused glance at Xander as Peter grabbed hold of the back of Xander's coat, hauling the brunette to his feet. But he wasn't prepared for Xander spinning around quickly, letting fly with his fist this time, the back of Xander's hand swinging hard into Peter's face and the sound of a nose being broken was audible through the room and visible was the blood that sprayed out in a small arch.

Buffy saw Joe's attention snap away from her and she took a gamble, launching herself at Joe, her weight and the surprise of it, sending Joe to the floor. Buffy was just on top and as Joe struggled for his gun, Buffy once again hit out at him, both her fists slamming into his face and delivered a hard blow to his groin with her knee.

At the same time, Sam grabbed hold of Taylor as he was about to attack Xander as Peter went down after Xander had hit him again, this time with a knockout blow. Sam grabbed hold of Taylor's collar and threw him up against the door face first. Taylor recovered quickly and launched himself at Sam, but this time Xander blocked the blow and lashed out hard with his foot into Taylor's knee cap, enjoying the cry of pain from the pan before he let the man fall into Sam's arms. And Sam really didn't need any further encouragement from Al who'd been yelling, "Hit him!" at him over and over again.

Xander turned around, the gun in his hand that Buffy had first knocked from Joe's hand and that he had found when he'd gotten intimate with the floor. But what he saw was Buffy being dragged off Joe by her hair by Bookerson and now she was being held infront of him. Terry had one arm tight around Buffy's neck, pulling her back towards him; his other hand was on one of her shoulders. Bookerson was about a foot and a half taller than Buffy so her head rested against his upper chest.

But Buffy still struggled against her captor's hold. Over Sam's shoulder she saw Sam hit Taylor one more time and the villain stumbled over Peter's body and he soon lay sprawled next to his comrade. Buffy met Xander's eyes and they exchanged silent words. She hadn't understood what exactly was going to happen when Sean had told her that Xander had come up with a rescue plan. Sean had just told her to hang on and just wait. Looking at Xander now, she wondered exactly how much he'd done just to get the gun off this Gianni guy.

Bookerson sneered at Xander "OK bitch. Whatcha gonna do now? 'Cos I'm gonna tell ya. I get *very* angry when people knock off my friends" he jerked his arm against Buffy's throat and she choked a little "You might want to put that piece down before she starts finding it harder to breath"

Xander's response was held as Sam was suddenly struggling with Joe. Joe had struck Sam when Sam had tried to stop Joe going yet again for his gun, but Sam had taken Joe with him as he travelled back across the room. Xander didn't manage to move quickly enough out of the way and fell to the floor again as Sam and Joe crashed into and then through the door, taking their fight out into the small area outside the room.

Xander still had the gun in his hand though as he looked up at Bookerson. "Just let her go and we'll be gone" Xander said "You're just making it harder"

"Oh yeah, it's harder all right" Terry's hand began to travel down from Buffy's shoulder, approaching her breast. Buffy struggled against him furiously but his grip around her throat was tight and she had to fight harder to breathe.

Xander's eyes went black. He lifted the gun and cocked back the safety "I really suggest you stop that"

Terry looked back at him innocently "What? Surely you wouldn't shoot an unarmed man?"

Buffy was struggling against the bonds on her wrist now. She tried kicking back at Bookerson but he just shook off her feeble attempts and jerked her neck sharply again. Terry's hand was on her breast now and she knew what she could feel in the small of her back. //God... why does it have to come to this? It's just like it was with that creep Derran outside the Bronze//. Buffy could feel herself getting dizzy through lack of oxygen, but she kept struggling against Terry as his hand started to wander again.

"Let her go" Xander hissed with menace.

"What are you gonna do huh?" Bookerson sneered at Xander "Glare at me so much I give in"

"Let. Her. Go" Xander repeated.

"Idle threats" Terry replied "Come on. Just walk away. My boy's'll be waking up soon. What are you gonna do then? His hand moved down to Buffy's stomach "Tell you what. I'll let you take her place" he leered "Or join in". Terry's fingers began playing with the waistband of Buffy's skirt.

"I'm not going to tell you again asshole"

"Language language" Terry tutted as he shifted his arm, his hand still playing with Buffy's waistband "Lady, words ain't gonna change things" he moved his hand down lower "It's stick's and-" Bookerson was cut short.

"Bullets"

Buffy stood still as the gunshot continued to ring in her ears and then she couldn't hear anything. Suddenly the weight behind her disappeared and she could breathe better. Buffy blinked quickly, trying to see what had just happened and then she felt dizzy again and her knees began to give way. 

Strong arms caught her just as she was about to hit the floor. "Buffy?". It was Sam's voice "Buffy?"

"Buffy" there was another voice. Xander's. He dropped the gun and went to her side. Taking her from Sam's arms, he held her as he sat back on his heels and brushed her hair out of her face. "You OK?" he asked, concerned, starting to untie her wrists "God, I didn't get you did I?"

Buffy blinked again, focusing on Xander while Sam checked on an unconscious Bookerson. "You shot him"

"In the shoulder" Sam replied "He'll live"

"Unfortunately" Xander muttered. He helped Buffy sit up "Buff, you sure you're OK?" Xander looked at her neck, touching his fingers to it gently "He had you pretty tight there"

"Just a little sore" she replied. Buffy looked directly at him. "You shot him" she repeated, "With a gun"

"Just a bit" Xander answered "But, like Sam said, he'll live"

Buffy was still looking at him "You shot him. With a gun. With, like, actual bullets"

"Damn" Xander swore, running his hands over Buffy's head looking for more bumps "Sean said they knocked you out. Maybe we should get you to a hospital"

"Stop it Xan". Buffy took hold of his hands and brought them down between them, holding them tightly. "Xander you shot a guy. I can't believe..." she trailed off.

Xander sighed and closed his eyes, leaning forward slightly and resting his forehead against her shoulder. "Buffy, if you're going where I think you're going with this, then can we do it later?" he tried to lighten it up "Preferably when I'm wearing pants"

"Hey, I hate to break this up" Sean said "But we've got the cops about a minute away"

Buffy looked at Sean as Xander moved back from her "That was quick"

"I already called them" Xander told her. He glanced at Sam who was doing a good job of patching up Bookerson's shoulder and also seemed to be having a conversation with Al. Xander then turned to Sean "I guess they'll have some questions huh?"

Sean looked at Gizmo and tapped a few keys. "Ohh yeah" he said without looking up "Lots of 'em. But also a lot for all these guys lying around here on their backs". Sean looked back up at them "But in a couple of days you get some witnesses come forward who'll confirm the attack on Sam in the middle of the street and the abduction of a girl at gunpoint shortly afterwards" he added "And it seems all of these guys are high on the cop's 'wanted for questioning' list round these parts. Bookerson particularly - seems he was the last one spotted with a girl who was found dead a couple of months ago"

"What about Michael?" Buffy asked, "What happens when these guy's boss finds out?"

"Mr Howell decides to lay low for a while in case he's linked with them" Sean replied "Michael get a loan from the bank and some from his parents to pay him in full. They're less likely to take a baseball bat to his kneecaps I guess" he shrugged "And Katherine and Kelly go back to living their fluffy pink lives"

"How are you two?"

Buffy and Xander turned around to face Sam, who smiled at them warmly. "We did OK, don't you think?" Sam said.

Buffy and Xander looked around and then back to Sam "We did OK" Xander said. "The bad guys are unconscious. We're not"

"Can I ask something?" Buffy said, "How did you guys get the money?"

"We borrowed it from a cousin" Sam said with a smile.

"A cousin?" Buffy looked at Xander oddly "Explain"

"My Cousin Vinny" Xander replied "There's only about five hundred bucks in that bag" he offered Buffy a small smile "Hundreds wrapped around a bunch of ones"

Buffy blinked "Your plan hinged on a film and a Wonderbra?" Buffy rested her forehead against his shoulder "Alexander Harris, what am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know" Xander replied "But I'd like it if you never mentioned the Wonderbra to anyone else"

Sam's attention was drawn away from the couple when he heard raised voices coming towards them. "I think I'm sticking around here as Michael for a while longer" he said with a sigh "But you two" he smiled "I think you're out of here" he crouched down and placed put a hand on one of their shoulders "It's been interesting working with you, I have to say". Sam glanced at Al before looking back to them and smiled wider "I wish you two the best of luck"

"Thanks" Buffy and Xander said together. "Uh," Xander continued by himself "Maybe we'll meet again huh?"

Sam stood up "Maybe we might". Sam took a step backwards, still smiling at them both, as they become engulfed in a white and blue light and were gone. Perhaps he was the only one to notice that since Buffy had taken Xander's hands from her head, she hadn't actually let go of them.

-------------------

"Huh" was Xander's first word as he blinked away the white light that had crackled over them both. He looked down and found that whilst he wasn't wearing a skirt or anything else that screamed female, he wasn't wearing much of anything else. Only a towel.

In his hand he appeared to be holding a bottle of something and on closer inspection he realised it was sun protection cream. He was also sitting on the edge of a sun bed with someone else laying stretched out on their front on the lounger beside him. Buffy. Wearing just a bikini.

Buffy opened one eye and looked around. //OK, I'm laying down. It's warm. There's a pool... better than unconscious criminals...// she trailed off in her thoughts when she realised someone was sitting by her thigh. She twisted her head around and squinted against the sun that was behind Xander's head.

"Nice change of scenery huh?" she said.

Xander set down the bottle of lotion on the ground. There might have been a faint smile on Buffy's lips but he could see in her eyes that she was still upset from what had happened just a little while earlier.

"Much better" he smiled warmly.

"And you don't have breasts anymore"

//OK, so she wants to keep this light for a while. I can do that//. "Well, until I look in a mirror or Sean tells me," Xander smiled back "I'm not gonna take your word". 

Xander looked around at their surroundings. They seemed to be in someone's back garden. Actually garden was a poor term. More like garden, verging on small National Park.

They were both by a pool underneath a hot sun that beat down nicely on them both. Behind them about fifty feet away was a large, expensive looking house. Both Buffy and Xander seemed to be the only people about.

Buffy rolled over so she lay on her back. "This is nice," she said, closing her eyes.

"Then you stay here" Xander said patting her thigh lightly "I'm going to find something other than a towel to wear"

"'Kay". Buffy settled back as she felt Xander's weight leave the lounger. Buffy sighed, a little agitated. //He shot some one. A person. Not a vampire...// she paused in her thoughts //... for me//.

Xander turned around when he hit the top of the marble steps that led up to a patio. He ran a hand over his hair as he watched Buffy try to relax. Xander knew she was only trying. He'd seen her tense enough times before to know when she was faking it.

Xander closed his eyes and sighed //I had to stop that guy// he told himself. Xander opened his eyes again and started across the patio. "I've told her before" he murmured softly to himself "No one hurts any of my girls"

=============

to be continued...

Read the next episode **_"Step by Step"_** ...


	7. Step by Step

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The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Seven: "Step by Step"

Summary: With only a simple task to do, Buffy and Xander are determined to enjoy themselves... but just how much?  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG14  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.   
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

"Huh" was Xander's first word as he blinked away the white light that had crackled over them both. He looked down and found that, whilst he wasn't wearing a skirt or anything else that screamed female, he wasn't wearing much of anything else. Only a towel.

In his hand he appeared to be holding a bottle of something and on closer inspection he realised it was sun protection cream. He was also sitting on the edge of a sun bed with someone else laying stretched out on their front on the lounger beside him. 

Buffy. Wearing just a bikini.

Buffy opened one eye and looked around. //OK, I'm lying down. It's warm. There's a pool... better than unconscious criminals...// she trailed off in her thoughts when she realised someone was sitting by her thigh. She twisted her head around and squinted against the sun that was behind Xander's head.

"Nice change of scenery huh?" she said.

Xander set down the bottle of lotion on the ground. There might have been a faint smile on Buffy's lips but he could see in her eyes that she was still upset from what had happened just a little while earlier.

"Much better" he smiled warmly.

"And you don't have breasts anymore"

//OK, so she wants to keep this light for a while. I can do that//. "Well, until I look in a mirror or Sean tells me," Xander smiled back "I'm not gonna take your word". 

Xander looked around at their surroundings. They seemed to be in someone's back garden. Actually garden was a poor term. More like garden, verging on small National Park.

They were both by a pool underneath a hot sun that beat down nicely on them both. Behind them about fifty feet away was a large, expensive looking house. Both Buffy and Xander seemed to be the only people about.

Buffy rolled over so she lay on her back. "This is nice," she said, closing her eyes.

"Then you stay here," Xander said patting her thigh lightly. "I'm going to find something other than a towel to wear"

"'Kay". Buffy settled back as she felt Xander's weight leave the lounger. Buffy sighed, a little agitated. //He shot some one. A person. Not a vampire, demon...// she paused in her thoughts //... for me//.

Xander turned around when he hit the top of the marble steps that led up to a patio. He ran a hand over his hair as he watched Buffy try to relax. Xander knew she was only trying. He'd seen her tense enough times before to know when she was faking it.

Xander closed his eyes and sighed //I had to stop that guy// he told himself. Xander opened his eyes again and started across the patio. "I've told her before" he murmured softly to himself "No one hurts any of my girls"

Xander walked over to the closed French doors that opened onto the patio and pushed gently on them, opening them quietly. He wasn't quite sure if he and Buffy really should be here and if they were, he then didn't want to run into anyone that he might have to talk to.

But it was as quiet inside as it had been outside. Xander looked slowly around the conservatory he found himself in. It wasn't that big (about the size of his apartment), considering the size of the rest of the house and it was nice and bright with lots of wicker furniture and greenery.

There were three doors leading off from the conservatory. Two were open; one looked like it led to a kitchen and one into a hallway, the other was closed and frosted glass panels meant that Xander couldn't quite make out what was behind it. //Oh well, I guess we can explore later//.

Xander took the exit leading into the hallway and wandered along, passing a couple of closed doors on either side, until he reached the main lobby. A grand staircase was situated right in the middle opposite the front doors and to the left and right were double sets of closed doors //More exploring...//. 

Xander had still yet to hear anyone or anything. He stood at the foot of the stairs and slowly turned around on the spot. "Y'know this is *so* much nicer that the place I got blown up at". He grinned to himself and began to climb the stairs. "Hey Sean?"

The hologram did not appear. Xander just shrugged and continued up until he reached the next level to find it was as grandly decorated as the ground floor and also as empty. He was left with three hallways to go down, all with rooms leading off them. Xander chose left, trying each door on either side - a couple were bedrooms and some were barely decorated or just empty. It wasn't until he reached the last door on the right that he figured he'd found a room that actually looked lived in or that at least some one had been in it recently unlike the others.

Xander went in to the room - a large bedroom decorated in blues and purples; a large, oak four poster against the left wall with the covers in disarray; a desk against the right wall by the door with a switched open laptop computer in the middle of it and books stacked up beside it; a few comfy chairs in one corner around a TV; a large wardrobe, the doors of which were open and a few items of clothing on the floor infront of it; and French doors that opened onto a small balcony.

Xander walked out onto the balcony and leant against the railing, looking out at the back garden he'd just come from. He smiled when he saw Buffy still lying by the pool and he decided just to leave her by herself for a little while. Xander walked back into the room and looked inside the wardrobe and pulled a pair of jeans off one of the shelves and held them up against himself. 

"And clothes that fit. Also good". Although he didn't think he'd gotten used to wearing other people's clothes *just* yet, Xander realised that he didn't have much choice. So, opening a couple of the drawers he found some clean boxer shorts and dropped the towel, pulling the jeans on. Xander picked up the other clothes and put them back in the wardrobe, holding back a short sleeved shirt that he then put on. 

Xander then stepped to one side and looked in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall that he'd avoided looking into when he'd been changing. Xander's reflection showed a reasonably well built man in, Xander's guessed, his early thirties; better than average looks; short, sandy blond hair; blue/green eyes; and about a weeks growth of stubble. Then something else in the refection caught Xander's eye - a wedding ring. Xander then looked at his own left hand and noticed for the first time, that he too was wearing a gold band.

"Oka-aay" Xander held his hand up closer to his face "I won't lie and say I'm not glad it's not *my* ring"

"Not even if I told you who the little wife was?"

Xander turned around and saw Sean standing behind him. "Gee, let me take a guess" Xander said lightly. "Could it be the blonde by the pool?"

"Your powers of deduction astound me"

Xander rolled his eyes "Sean, there's no one else here"

"You noticed that too huh?"

"On my little stroll through the house, yeah" Xander replied, wandering over to the balcony again "What's the deal here?"

Sean followed him outside "You and Buffy are Mr and Mrs Delamere. Douglas and Rosa. A charming couple by all means. Swimming in cash and all sorts. I think these people like to call it *old* money. This place" he swept his arms wide "Is the family home"

"Uh huh" Xander leant on the railing and glanced sideways at Sean. "A family consisting of just me and Buffy. This place is huge" Xander continued "There's no, like, uh, staff?"

"Want someone in a maids uniform to call you sir, huh?" Sean replied "Sorry, no. You fired them all a few days ago"

"How nice of me"

Sean shrugged "Like I said - charming couple. And no one else will work for you"

"Somehow I think I'll cope". Xander let his gaze drift around the grounds of the house before it finally fell back onto Buffy who still lay by the pool. "So why are we in this couple then?"

"Simple actually" Sean replied, following Xander's gaze "You've just got to stop some disks from getting stolen. Computer data that got into the wrong hands" he elaborated "Didn't cause too much damage, but we'd like it if it never happened in the first place". Sean paused "That really is a *tiny* bikini she's wearing isn't it?"

Xander's head snapped around to look at Sean "What?"

Sean snorted "Like you weren't looking"

"I was *not* looking" Xander insisted.

"Like you weren't looking at those girls in the changing rooms?" Sean raised an eyebrow.

"That was *totally* different" 

"How?"

"It just was"

"Ooh, nicely argued" Sean smirked "Got me convinced"

"Is there anything else you wanted Sean?"

"Just to remind you that you don't need to shoot the burglars"

"Do you want me to say sorry for shooting that bastard?" Xander asked, "Because you'll be waiting a long while if you do"

Sean shook his head "Might have done the same thing if I was in your shoes" Sean admitted "But emphasis on the *might*" he paused "You could have just waited it out. The cops were on their way"

"He had his dirty hands all over her" Xander said, anger in his voice "He wasn't going to put them anywhere else"

"And you two are used to looking out for each other, yeah, I get that" Sean said "It's nice that you're protective of each other" he added "But you've got-"

"Sean" Xander cut him off "Save the advice. Sorry" he then added apologetically "But you don't really know me"

Sean glanced over to Buffy then back to Xander "Maybe that's what she's thinking"

-------------------

__

(A couple of hours later)

Buffy turned off the water and smoothed her hands over her hair to take some of the water out of it. She slid open the door a little and grabbed a large towel off the rack, wrapping it around herself before stepping totally into the now steam filled room. Buffy wiped one hand across the mirror on the door of the medicine cabinet, taking off enough condensation to see herself in. Her new self.

Rosa had Mediterranean looks - Buffy thought Spanish, although she hadn't asked Sean. Rosa had thick, dark hair that almost touched her waist and hazel eyes that Buffy thought were eerily piercing.

Buffy sighed as the mirror began to steam up again. She grabbed a bathrobe off the back of the closed door and draped it over her shoulders before exiting the bathroom and entering the bedroom.

It was the same room Xander had found earlier that was apparently Rosa and Douglas' little love nest. She and Xander had flipped a coin to see who got to sleep in it and she had won; Xander staying in the next room that was joined via a bathroom. 

Buffy lost the robe and the towel and got changed quickly into the clothes she'd found and put out earlier - some underwear, loose, grey cotton trousers and a white, wool v-neck tank. She went into the bathroom again and found a smaller towel to wrap round her hair and then she started to make her way down stairs again.

Buffy found Xander in the kitchen, his head buried inside the refrigerator. "Hey" she said softly, as not to startle him "Whatcha looking for?"

"Something edible" Xander replied. He stepped back and held out a plate towards her that had something lumpy and green on it. "Any clues as to what it is?" he asked "Or are you thinking, like me, that I should just put in the trash"

Buffy stepped closer for inspection. "Trash?" she suggested after a moment, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Xander nodded and went to dispose of it. "See if you can find anything" he called over his shoulder "I haven't been through the cupboards in the corner yet"

Buffy pushed the refrigerator door closed as she went past "Can't we order take out?" she said, "I could really go for Chinese right now"

"Judging by all the cartons and boxes in the trash" Xander replied as he walked back over to her "I think that's all this couple has been eating"

Buffy turned around to face him "Maybe we should keep up the tradition" she suggested "Come on, I'm sure these people can spare thirty bucks to feed us"

"You don't want to sample my culinary delights?" Xander asked, smiling. He rolled his eyes when Buffy just raised an apprehensive eyebrow. Xander perched himself on one of the stools by the breakfast bar "OK. Find thirty bucks and I'll even let you order for me"

"In that case, both their wallets are by their bed" Buffy smiled smugly "You can go get and I'll order"

Xander narrowed his eyes playfully "I should have known you'd already have this planned out". He got off the stool. "Don't forget egg fried rice" he added as he headed out of the kitchen "If I'm not back in an hour, you will come looking for me won't you?"

"Sure" Buffy called after him. She dug one of the cartons out of the trash and dialled the number on the side.

-------------------

About ten minutes later Xander made it back down to the kitchen. Buffy was sitting on the stool he'd previously occupied. She'd taken her hair out of the towel and had combed it through so it now hung in damp tresses down her back. Buffy also seemed extremely interested in playing with a cocktail stirrer she'd found, tapping it with no particular rhythm against the marble counter surface. Xander put both wallets on the counter infront of her and put a hand on her shoulder. Buffy started and flinched away from his touch.

Xander withdrew his hand "Hey" he said softly "Sorry, I didn't mean..." Xander sat on the stool next to her "I didn't mean to startle you"

Buffy met his concerned gaze briefly and gave him a small, half-hearted smile before becoming distracted once again by the stirrer she held in her hand.

Xander cleared his throat quietly "Buffy? Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" he paused "Or do I already know?"

Buffy didn't answer him. Xander reached out and gently took hold of her hand, stilling it. She didn't flinch away this time and Xander took the stirrer from her fingers before covering them with his hand again.

"Buff? If it's about me shooting that guy, then I'm gonna say now that I'd quite happily shoot him in the kneecaps if he turned up here. He doesn't do that to you-" he squeezed her hand gently "-or to anyone" Xander paused "He deserved it"

Buffy hesitated briefly before she looked at him, her eyes began to glisten "It's just I'm not-" she stopped for a moment, gathering herself "I'm not used to being the one that's rescued" Buffy dropped her gaze from his and stared at her hand that was covered by Xander's. "I'm not used to *having* to be rescued"

"Buffy, I know how you feel OK? Believe me, I've had to be rescued from things for years"

Buffy looked back at him and saw that he was smiling warmly at her. She tried to smile back, but she didn't quite manage it. "I don't like feeling..." she sighed "I just don't like it" she sighed again "Do you?"

"Which part?" Xander replied, still smiling a little "The fact that you don't like it or whether I like getting rescued all the time?". He answered his own question before she could. "Buffy, I don't like that that you feel like... like you do, OK? And, yeah, it does get to me a bit that I sometimes get into things that require me screaming like a girl and having to be saved, but," he smiled "I get a little compensation. I mean, look at the girls I get rescued by. Gotta learn to love that"

There was a flicker of a genuine smile on Buffy's lips. "Y'know maybe we should make a list"

"List? For what?"

"A list for everything we let ourselves get rescued from and others we want to get out of ourselves" Buffy replied "We could post them in the training room"

"In that case, your list of things to get rescued from, is gonna be pretty short"

Buffy smiled softly and her tone became serious as she kept her gaze locked on Xander's. "I can think of a few things" she said, pausing briefly "Recent events included"

"Buffy, with Slayer power you would have kicked that guy's ass" Xander replied, getting off his stool and standing before her. "Hell, you would have kicked all their asses" he added "And not even have broken a sweat"

"Xand, I had my super powers when I let that pig Parker use me. It doesn't-"

"Buffy, that wasn't the same, it-"

"I know" Buffy replied "'Cos you didn't..." she trailed off, taking a breath before trying again "Because you didn't have to shoot Parker"

"I couldn't wait for the cops Buffy" Xander still kept his eyes locked with hers "I couldn't let him get any further"

"I just don't know how it makes me feel" Buffy admitted "What to make of it. I..." she sighed "You put a bullet in him. I don't know whether to *feel* like maybe I don't know you as well as I thought I did, or to feel angry with my*self* because I *should've* known that you *could* do that, or that it's just plain sweet that you care so much" she allowed herself a smile "Maybe I'm just confusing myself... I just don't know..." she shrugged "But I do know that you're *still* my *friend* and nothing changes the fact that I'm now going to do this"

Buffy slid off the stool and wrapped her arms tightly around Xander, taking him a little by surprise. She rested her head against his shoulder so the back of her head was pressed tight against his neck.

"Thank you" Buffy said softly, closing her eyes as she felt Xander's arms encircle her, holding her as tight as she was he.

"Anytime"

Buffy drew back "Thank you" she said again.

Xander smiled. He took hold of Buffy's upper arms. "Hey, come on" he said "Let's make this a happy leap, OK? It's a nice easy one. We've just got to hide some disks so they don't get stolen. Simple" Xander smiled, adding, "No fishnet stockings required"

That earned him a small laugh from Buffy. "Didn't I tell you that you had the legs to pull of heels, huh?"

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

A shrill beeping in her ear made Buffy wake with a start. Cursing loudly, she thumped the snooze button on top of the radio alarm and rolled over on to her back, her eyes still shut. "Ugh. Why does she have an alarm when she doesn't work" Buffy groaned sleepily "She has nothing to get up *for*"

Buffy opened her eyes then immediately wished she hadn't when a bright ray of sunlight hit her as it beamed in through the uncovered balcony windows. Buffy screwed her eyes shut again, but she could still sense the brightness. Buffy pushed back the bed covers enough so she could clamber out of the bed and headed towards the windows. She was just about to let the drapes fall when she heard a quiet splash from outside.

Pushing her bed mussed hair out of her face and adjusting the cotton nightie that she was wearing so to be decent, she padded out onto the balcony. The morning sun was still bright, so Buffy put a hand up to shield her eyes as she peered out into the back garden to investigate the noise.

It turned out to be Xander. Apparently he had donned a pair of swim shorts and had decided to take an early morning swim. Buffy leant against the balcony rail and watched Xander as he started to swim lengths.

"He's swimming *now*?" Buffy muttered to herself and then yawned. "He's got all day to do that"

"Yeah, but there's just something about swimming in the morning..."

Buffy glanced across at her companion "Sean," she said sleepily "Don't you ever take time off?"

Sean shrugged "I've learned to live on little sleep" he grinned "Plus there's a half naked cute guy swimming"

"Let me reiterate. Don't you *ever* take time off?"

Sean sighed "Actually I got bored in the office" he admitted "Thought I'd drop by and see what you two have got planned for today"

"As little as possible". Buffy yawned again. "In fact vegging out infront of the TV is probably one of my best ideas yet". She let her gaze fall again on Xander as he continued to swim. "Although... I think the pool is heated..."

"Plus... half naked cute guy swimming"

"There is that" Buffy paused "Wait... " she looked to Sean, expecting to find him smirking, only to find him not there at all.

Buffy returned her gaze to the pool "That guy is such a bad influence"

-------------------

__

(Twenty minutes later)

Xander was sitting on the edge of the pool, his feet dangling into the water at the shallow end. He had his hands planted either side of his thighs and he was leaning back, his eyes closed as he warmed and dried himself in the early morning sun.

Then he heard the tinkling of glasses beside him and he opened his eyes and saw Buffy holding a tray with two glasses on it, both filled with orange juice. Buffy was wearing a swimming costume with a sarong tied around her waist, her hair was tied back and she wore sunglasses.

"Woah, check out the beach babe" Xander grinned.

"It's a pool. Not a beach". Buffy smiled graciously "But thank you anyway"

"No problem" Xander smiled back "It makes a change from your usual morning attire of a t-shirt you can trip over and bed hair" 

Buffy swatted him, hard, on the arm as she sat alongside side him, setting the tray just behind them both. "That's real nice considering I just brought refreshment" Buffy said "I poured it from the carton into the glass all by myself y'know"

Xander rubbed his arm where Buffy had hit him "Hey I was being nice when I said you looked nice"

"I know ". Buffy stuck her tongue out at him when Xander gave her a pained look.

"Well thanks for this," he said, taking one of the glasses. "I didn't wake you when I got up did I?"

"Nah". Buffy splashed her feet a little in the water. "Just saw you when I went onto the balcony" she took a sip of her own juice "Good swim?"

Xander nodded as he then proceeded to down half of his drink. "Thought I'd make good use of the place while we're here," he said. Xander turned to her and grinned "Tennis after lunch?"

Buffy grinned back "I'll have to check my diary, but I think I can fit it in. Wait. You can play?"

Xander shrugged "I can try. Plus you won't be hitting any super strength volleys my way"

Buffy pouted "Hey, I'd play fair even if I had my preternatural strength"

"Yeah?" Xander gave her his 'I-know-better' look. "As fair as you play when shooting hoops?"

"I'm short" Buffy retaliated, hoping she sounded at least mildly convincing "I've got to compensate some how"

"By somersaulting over me so you can score a three pointer?"

"Yeah-huh". Buffy took off her sunglasses and laid them on the ground behind her and grinned again when she saw Xander rolling his eyes. "Come on" she said, undoing her sarong and tugging it from underneath herself "Wanna do some more lengths?" Buffy slipped elegantly into the pool "Race ya"

"You're on" Xander replied "I'll just give you a couple of minutes to warm up"

"Hah" Buffy scoffed as she kicked her feet a little so she moved backwards "More like you still need time to recuperate"

"Do not" Xander shot back, kicking water up with his feet in her direction, but Buffy moved quickly enough out of the way. "I'll have you know I'm in perfect condition. The peak of fitness, the height of-"

"Wetness?" Buffy grinned as Xander swiped the water she'd just splashed at him off his face. And then tried not to notice the how the rest of the water began to form droplets on his chest and began to roll down his chest and towards his navel...

... well she *tried* not to notice.

Which was probably why she didn't get out of the way quickly enough when Xander splashed her a second time.

"Fine" she said, pushing stray, wet locks of hair out of her face. "Guess I deserved that"

"Yup" Xander agreed as he set down his glass and joined her in the water "Y'know. I think as well as hiding disks-" he continued as he kicked his feet and swam away from her into the middle of the pool "-what we could do is try and lighten up". Xander turned around to face Buffy, who hadn't moved, and began to tread water. "We need to have fun"

"What's that again?" Buffy joked.

"Exactly my point" Xander replied "It's like I said yesterday, it's time we got some time for ourselves. And it might not be much for now, but..., well, we've got until tonight at least"

"Uh huh. OK" Buffy swam up to him and began to tread water beside him "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Well... there's still tennis if you wanna. We could hang about here and then have brunch. Maybe find a place to hide the disks after that and then ...uh... your go"

"Ooh I know, we could just veg and take full advantage of Douglas and Rosa's disgustingly huge entertainment centre until the time comes for us to eat again" Buffy suggested with a smile "And then," she carried on, "All we've gotta do is wait out the disk stealing guys"

"Great. See? We've got a plan"

"Simple but effective" Buffy grinned "All though I think finding something to eat might be more of a challenge than finding a good place for the disks"

"I think I saw pizza in the deep freeze" Xander told her "And there may have been bread that wasn't trying to make it's own back supply of penicillin"

"Ahh, something to look forward to as I practice my swan dives"

"And you want to practice swan dives because...?"

"Eh, you never know" Buffy replied as swam past him towards the steps at the deeper end of the pool and proceeded to climb out. She turned around and faced Xander as she stood at the edge of the pool. "Anyway, I've still got my-" she air-quoted the next six words "'Couple of minutes to warm up'. I'm still gonna race you. And beat you" she grinned "Naturally"

Xander rolled his eyes "Fine. Do your belly flops into the water". He saw Buffy stick her tongue out at him before he moved to the side of the pool, turning his head back around just as Buffy had stepped up to the foot of the diving board.

And suddenly wondered why his mind was playing everything in slow motion. Baywatch style.

Xander stared for a moment. Then blinked. His mind went back to normal speed, but the image was still there. 

He had been serious when he'd told Buffy how she looked this morning. Luckily he'd managed to stop his mouth over taking his brain when he'd opened his eyes and first seen her and also the usual accompanying goldfish impression and/or a version of the Homer drool.

Buffy's swimming costume was now wet and therefore clinging to... well, just *clinging*. It wasn't as if it was *that* revealing, but it was a little low cut at the front and quite high cut at the legs... and... Buffy had legs.

OK, *obviously* Buffy had legs. Xander knew that. He'd just seen her walking, but... now they were *those* kind of legs. Attractive legs. Legs that went right up to... other things. Legs that he shouldn't be looking at. Legs that he shouldn't be looking at because he had a girlfriend. Who also had legs. Xander liked Anya's legs. They also went up to other things. It was probably because he had liked Anya's legs so much and was actually allowed to touch them; that he'd slowly stopped noticing Buffy's legs.

Xander decided he should stop thinking about legs. He was getting all confused. And possibly drooling.

Xander closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again Buffy's legs would just be things that she used for walking, running and kicking the evil undead.

Unfortunately when he opened his eyes again, it was just in time to see the evil grin on Buffy's face as she leapt off the edge of the diving board, quickly tucking herself into a ball... and dive bombing him.

Xander pushed his wet hair off his face and scowled at her "Swan dive my ass" he said as she resurfaced.

Buffy just laughed. "Fun remember?"

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

"Xand?". Buffy knocked again on the bathroom door, one of two that separated the two bedrooms they were both sleeping in. "Xander?". She still didn't get a reply so Buffy opened the door and went in.

A pyjama clad Buffy walked over to the window and opened the curtains a little to let the light in and then looked back to her friend who just rolled over, his bare back now facing her and face buried in the pillow. 

Buffy sighed "Xander, wake up"

"Is the world ending?" was the muffled response.

"Not that I know of"

"Then why do I have to get up?"

"Because," Buffy replied as she sat down heavily on the bed, causing Xander to finally remove his face from the pillow and look at her. "-we're still here"

Xander rolled onto this back and brushed hair out of his eyes so he could look around the room before his gaze finally settled back on Buffy. "Oh yeah" he paused briefly "No burglars?"

Buffy shrugged and then showed him the disks that they'd hidden the night before and obviously hadn't been stolen. "They're still the same ones. No one snuck in and replaced them... but, if we're still here then-"

"Buffy it's too early in the morning to start confusing me" Xander yawned "What does Sean say?"

"Sean says thieves came, thieves broke big huge vase in the lobby and thought it had woken you so they made a run for it. However, they'll be back and that's why you're still here"

"And a good morning to you too Sean" Xander greeted.

"I guess that was the short explanation?" Buffy asked. 

"Well its not like there's really a whole lot else to it" Sean replied. "But enough about me, look at you two all cosy and sporting matching bed hair"

"I beginning to think you say stuff like that 'cause you know we can't hit you" Xander said.

"No I say stuff like that-" Sean countered "-because you both have bed hair, Buffy's wearing her jim jams and you're naked underneath that coverlet"

Almost automatically Xander hoisted the covers up and hugged them to his chest. "Am not" he replied weakly. Then he paused and narrowed his eyes at Sean "How do you know, anyway?"

"It's sorta like a sixth sense thing with me" Sean replied, grinning.

Xander was about to shoot back a reply but was cut off by an accusing look from Buffy.

"You let me come in here when you were naked?!" she said.

"When? He still is" Sean pointed out with a smirk.

"Do you mind?" Xander scowled at Sean "And do you still have to be here?"

"Completely" Sean replied "I haven't told you when the disks get stolen again"

"And...?"

"Tomorrow. Around midnight. Y'know if you keep scowling like that, your face will change"

"How do you know he's scowling Sean? You aren't looking at his face" Buffy pointed out.

"Neither are you" Sean retaliated.

"For Gods sake!" Xander groaned with frustration mixed with a little embarrassment "Why is everyone focusing on me being naked?!"

"I am not!" Buffy said indignantly at the same time as Sean just shrugged as if the answer was obvious.

Xander kept scowling at Sean "Go away"

"Fine" Sean sniffed "I've got a perfectly nice naked man waiting for me when I get back anyway" 

As Sean vanished, Xander turned his scowl to Buffy, although it had lessened considerably. "And for the record, you came in here all by yourself. No *letting* at all on my part"

"... and what *part* would that be?"

"I don't suppose there's *any* chance of you disappearing like Sean?"

"Why Xander, you're not ashamed of yourself are you?" Buffy feigned shock "And *you*... an ex *stripper*"

"Y'know, I just thought of a hiding place for those disks" Xander retorted "You could just shove them up your *ow*!". Xander rubbed his thigh through the covers where Buffy had just smacked him "You should be ashamed. Hitting a defenceless naked person like that"

"Ha" Buffy got up and started to take her leave. She stopped and turned back to him when she got the still open door to the adjoining bathroom "D'ya think you could get your defenceless naked self up and together soon?" Buffy asked "If we're gonna be here and looking after these-" she waved the disks at him "-then we're going to need food"

"Groceries?" Xander gave her a blank look "You want to go shopping?"

"Yes. For food. To eat" Buffy said slowly, with a smile "That we need to live"

"Uh huh, following you so far" Xander replied "But, uh, I don't see how that requires both of us"

"... Oh"

Xander missed the tiny frown that appeared on Buffy's face as he started to bat the pillow back into something he could lay his head on comfortably. He buried his face back into the pillow and waved one hand in Buffy's general direction. "Have fun shopping" Xander mumbled before he pulled up the covers over his shoulders and attempted to get to sleep again.

Buffy just stared at him for a couple of seconds before speaking again "Well... I guess I could go by myself..." she waited for any type of response from Xander. She didn't get one. 

"Yup, guess I could go by myself..." she muttered to herself as she left Xander's room and headed back towards her own. "Not like it might have been fun or anything..."

-------------------

__

(A few hours later)

Buffy grunted with frustration as she thumped the grocery bags down onto the one of the many counters in the kitchen. She managed to catch a packet of macaroni before it toppled out and onto the floor, but instead of finding a cupboard to put it in, she just threw the packet on to the counter despondently; whereupon it skimmed across the shiny surface and into two glasses that stood unwashed and knocked them both onto the floor.

Buffy winced at the sound of smashing glass and stepped back as a few tiny shards skittered their way across the tiled floor towards her.

"Wonderful" Buffy said tersely as she studied the mess on the floor "The perfect end to the prefect morning"

With a sigh, Buffy set about picking up the larger pieces of glass and set them on some newspaper she'd laid out on one of the counters. After she'd got up what she could, Buffy grabbed a dustpan and brush and started to sweep up the tiny slivers that were left.

"This was not what I wanted to be doing this morning," Buffy muttered to herself as she swept "Fun? Pfft. Phooey. I bet he's not even out of bed yet" she continued "Stupid, annoying, naked id-"

"Hey"

"Gah!" Buffy yelped and slipped forward, hissing as the hand that she'd put out to stop herself sprawling on the floor landed on a tiny shard of glass. "Ow. God damn" Buffy cursed as she started to get to her feet.

"Oh crap. Damn. Rosa I'm sorry". A deep male voice accompanied the equally male hand on Buffy's arm, helping her up. "Are you OK?"

Buffy turned around, "Yeah, I-I think". Buffy faltered a little when she encountered a face that she didn't recognise. "Just a, um, scratch"

The man frowned and took hold of her hand that had a small red line down the centre of the palm. "Yeah..." he spoke slowly as he studied her hand, moving it into better light "I think the glass is out too. Best run it under the faucet anyway". He gave Buffy an awkward smile as she moved to the sink "Sorry again. Didn't realise you were cleaning"

Buffy cast a sideways glance at her new companion. He was around sixty and stood about six feet tall. His hair was cut short all over and was greying, almost completely white at the temples; his eyes were blue and piercing; his face was weathered but the easy expression on his face seemed to say that he'd weathered in a good way.

"So, uh... what can I do for you?" Buffy asked apprehensively.

"Just wondering if Doug was here" he answered "I called his office - god knows why considering he's never there anyway - I just thought he might find it worth his while to actually *see* the people who work for him. Anyway, they said he'd told them a few days ago that he was going to be working from home"

"Um... I think he's a-around, um, somewhere," Buffy said haltingly. "I've not been here this morning". Buffy took her hand from underneath the water, nodding towards the grocery bags before examining the small cut on her hand "Had to go out for food"

"I thought that was what you had Marie and Angela for?"

"Umm..."

"You fired them again didn't you?"

"W-we might've done"

"And the rest of the staff?"

"Also fired"

The man raised a single eyebrow. "I see"

"There were, uh, valid reasons"

"I'm sure there were-" his sentence got broken when his attention was caught by someone else entering the kitchen "Oh well, perhaps my errant son here could explain why you let go perfectly good staff". A questioning look was shot Xander's way as Xander strolled into the kitchen from the back of the house.

"Uh... yes. Yes he can" Buffy smiled brightly at Xander over the older man's shoulder "And while *he's* doing that, I can go and put a Band-Aid on my hand"

"What? Staff? Oh wait I remember about that. Hey what's wrong with your hand?" Xander asked Buffy as she was almost out of the kitchen.

"Just a scratch" Buffy informed him "I'll be fine. You go chat with your dad" Buffy gave him another too bright smile and headed out of the kitchen.

"Great" Xander muttered quietly under his breath before looking back at the other man in the room "So, um, what can I do for you?"

"You can tell me why I retired early so you could 'work from home' and I say that sarcastically because you seem to have spent most of the morning either in or by the pool and now I find out that you've fired perfectly good staff *yet* again"

Xander blinked. "Well I can say in all honesty that I really don't know what to tell you"

"Try"

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

"What the hell happened to you?" Xander gave Buffy an accusatory look. "You just left me there with that guy. I coulda done with some help you know"

Buffy was in the sun lounger that Xander had previously occupied outside by the pool. She was the perfect picture of relaxation, languishing comfortably where she sat under the sun, dressed in shorts and a more modest bikini top than the day before.

Buffy peered at Xander through her sunglasses. "Hmm?"

Xander stood with his arms crossed, still wearing the swim shorts he'd had on earlier and a short sleeved shirt he'd put on and wore unbuttoned. "Why couldn't you come and give me a hand?"

"Because it was nicer out here". Buffy shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Plus you only had to bluff a little. I didn't think it was a biggie"

"Actually I had to bluff a lot Buffy. You might have got the friendly end of him but I didn't. Sean was no where in sight and I had *no* idea what I was supposed to say. And nothing that I *did* say was right" Xander's hands dropped to his sides. "You know, I get enough crap from my own father without having to take it from someone *else's*"

Buffy didn't even get a chance to respond before Xander walked away from her and back towards the house, a look on his face that was a mixture of hurt and anger and confusion.

"Damn" Buffy cursed, jumping up from her lounger and going after him. "Xan wait"

"Just forget it Buffy" Xander's tone was softer but he didn't turn around as he spoke. "You just stay here and enjoy the sun. I was thinking about breaking out Doug's Playstation anyway"

"Xander". Buffy kept after him and caught hold of his arm. "I didn't know, OK? I'm sorry"

Xander stopped and turned around to face her. He hesitated before finally he sighed. "Me too" Xander said softly. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. You couldn't have known". Xander ran a hand through his hair. "Although I would be interested-" he gave Buffy and expectant look "-in why you decided to sneak out on me"

"I didn't sneak out on you" Buffy replied, albeit a little too defensively. "I just thought it was something you could handle and this weather is really too good to miss and OK I snuck out are you happy now?"

"Not really" Xander's arms were crossed over his chest again. "Because I still don't know why"

"Because... because, ugh, you know what? It doesn't matter" Buffy began to head back to the house "It's stupid"

Xander stared after her for a couple of moments before following in her footsteps. "Buffy? Come on. What's stupid?"

Buffy turned around, walking backwards as she spoke "It doesn't matter OK? I'm sorry I snuck out and that Doug's dad yelled at you". Buffy turned around again and walked through the open patio door and into the conservatory.

Xander was still following after her. "Uh uh. You don't get to cop out like that Buff"

"Why not?" Buffy walked into the kitchen "And stop following me. Go sit back out by the pool and hey you put the groceries away"

"Well you went out for them" Xander replied as Buffy turned around to face him. "And I don't want to go out back by the pool" he carried on "I wanna know what you think is stupid"

Buffy looked to where the grocery bags had once stood. "... I think I am"

Xander frowned "What? I don't get it"

Buffy sighed "Fine. I'll tell you" she looked back to him "I was pissed that you didn't want to go shopping with me"

"I agree. That's stupid"

"Tell me about it". Buffy sighed again. "I just though it would be a fun thing to do together". She shrugged lightly. "That's what you said you wanted," Buffy said, sounding a little awkward. "To have, y'know, fun"

"I did say that didn't I?". Xander shook his head lightly and the corners of his mouth twitched up at the corners "Then I guess we're both stupid, huh?"

"Eh, you didn't really miss much anyway" Buffy began to smile too. "I got my ankles rammed at least twice by vicious old ladies with shopping carts. I thing Doug and Rosa might have employed them at one point judging by the dirty looks they gave me. Also I knocked over a display of soap powder and I had to hide behind the fabric softener"

"You probably should have stayed in bed". Xander smiled. "But, if it's any consolation, I got pretty bored here without you". Xander went to shove his hands in his pockets then realised that his shorts didn't have any, so instead settled for hugging his arms to his chest and shuffling his feet. "I guess I've just got used to having you around so much"

Buffy couldn't help but smile. "Xander, you've had me around since high school remember?"

"I know" Xander matched her warm smile. "It's just last year, we all kinda lost track of each other and now, even before we left everything was going great, like it used to be"

"The Three Musketeer's huh?" Buffy allowed herself a moment of nostalgia. "I know what you mean". Buffy took the stool next to him. "And this leaping thing has given us the chance to build on it even more"

"We've had our moments"

"And we'll have more"

-------------------

__

(Two hours later)

"OK. So are we taking bets as to what's on it then?". Buffy studied the yellow floppy disk she held infront of her. Both she and Xander were in Doug and Rosa's bedroom. Buffy had slipped on a t-shirt over her bikini top and Xander had changed into jeans. Buffy sat at the desk by the window, the laptop computer open and switched on infront of her. 

"Lost Tomb Raider Three files?". Xander rested his forearms against the back of Buffy's chair and leant forward slightly over her shoulder. "The plots they thought were just *too* stupid for Sunset Beach?"

"Xander, d'ya think if it were any of those, that Sean would have told us and not avoided the subject when we asked?"

"OK, so what are *you* expecting then Buff?" Xander asked as Buffy slipped the disk into the machine. "Government secrets? Plans for a new satellite?"

Buffy pouted. "What's wrong with wanting it to be all James Bond-y?"

"Absolutely nothing" Xander watched and waited as Buffy went through the motions of opening up the files. "It's just, if the computer explodes because you opened the wrong file, I don't think it'll qualify for our list of fun things to do"

"It might be a funny explosion". Buffy turned her head up to look at Xander who rolled his eyes. Buffy smiled. "Come on, this was your idea" she pointed out.

"I know, I know. Go on then. Double click away"

Buffy grinned and turned back to the screen. "Huh. Looks like most of these are just text documents. OK. Let's try this one...". Buffy double clicked on the first icon. "Ah. Any idea what the password might be?"

"Uh... try another one". Xander watched Buffy try another and then more icons, trying to open them, but they all asked for passwords. "I'm guessing that Doug's not going to have them written down somewhere if these files are important enough to get stolen"

"So much for fun. OK, last one. Ooh! We're in!"

"OK, so what is it?"

"Just text. And I think it's in Russian. It's definitely something that I can't read"

"Great" Xander sighed as Buffy kept scrolling down the document, looking for something that they could at least try and make out.

"Y'know what?". Buffy stopped scrolling when she came to a page full of equations. "Willow would be great at all this"

There was a moments pause before a softly spoken "Yeah" came from Xander.

Buffy turned her head up to him again and lifted her hand up enough so she caught hold of one of his forearms. "I know". She smiled sympathetically and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "Come on, lets go and hide these disks up again and then we can get out the Playstation"

"How 'bout a movie instead?" Xander suggested "There's a disgustingly huge entertainment centre remember?"

"Sounds good". Buffy smiled. "I hope you remember where you unpacked the popcorn to"

"I do. And I think it's great you consider popcorn to be one of the necessary foods you were going shopping for"

"Impulse buy". Buffy blinked innocently at him before turning back to the computer and starting to close it down.

Xander raised an eyebrow "And the chocolate sauce?"

"That's personal"

"Ooh. Kinky"

Buffy took the disk out and shut the lid on the laptop. Standing up, she faced Xander and smiled enigmatically. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

-------------------

__

(Early evening)

"Buff? I thought we resolved our differences about this morning?"

"We did"

Xander glanced sideways at Buffy as she sat next to him on the couch. "Then why did you just make me sit through 'Meet Joe Black'?"

"Because you said I could pick first"

"It has to be the most boring film ever, Buffy"

"I know. But Brad Pitt just looks so pretty in it"

"Great" Xander said sarcastically "You get eye candy and I get-" he stopped and grinned "-I get to pick the next movie"

"Well if it's 'Porky's', you can think again" Buffy replied "I hid that tape while you were making drinks"

"Nope, I got something better" Xander reached down beside the couch and then proceeded to show Buffy what he'd produced. "Classic stuff"

"Xander, I said pick *one* thing off the shelf. *That* is *not* one thing"

"Actually, technically it is" Xander pointed out, not hiding his grin "It being a box set an' all"

"You can't seriously expect me to sit here and watch all three 'Back to the Future' films?"

"Buffy, it's not likely to be the biggest challenge of your life" Xander ignored her exaggerated pout and started to get the cassette out. "Suck it up, sit back and just enjoy"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine" she said with a sigh. "You put the tape in and I'll go get more soda and chips"

"I don't want anything diet" Xander called out to Buffy's retreating form as he put the first tape in the VCR. "And I put those dips you bought in the refrigerator"

"Do you want anything else?" Buffy called back.

"Nah". Xander grabbed the remote off the floor just before he sat back on the couch, settling himself back and kicking his feet onto the coffee table.

A couple of minutes later Buffy reappeared and rolled her eyes again when she saw Xander. "You've really got this loafing thing down haven't you?" she said, handing him a can of Coke.

Xander shrugged, smiling. "Sofa, TV and food... it's like my natural habitat".

Buffy sat back down next to Xander, settling the bowl of tortilla chips on her lap. "Whilst mine is midnight in a graveyard with a stake and crucifix". Buffy kicked her feet up next to Xander's. "I got me a dangerous habitat"

"Oh I don't know Buff. Get trapped in one of those folding couches, a person could be there for days before anyone finds them"

"Death by upholstery"

"Horrible way to go"

They sat in silence for a couple of moments as the movie got started.

Buffy broke the silence first. "D'ya think I'm taller than Michael J Fox?"

"Everyone's taller than you. Ow". Xander rubbed the spot on his thigh where Buffy had smacked him. "Well they are," he added weakly.

"Just shut up and watch the film Xander"

"I just love it when you get bossy"

-------------------

It was two thirds of the way through the second film when Xander felt a weight against his shoulder. He cast his eyes down and found that it was Buffy's head and that she appeared to be asleep.

"Great" Xander said softly. He tried nudging Buffy's head gently back upward with his shoulder, but she seemed content to stay where she was. Xander took the bowl of chips off Buffy's lap and set it on the end table beside his end of the couch. 

Buffy still didn't stir. She had her arms folded loosely across her chest and when Xander moved to get the remote to turn the volume down, Buffy fell a little more against him.

"What am I a pillow now?" Xander murmured. He tried shifting her again, but a small frown appeared on Buffy's face when she got moved. Xander knew he was going to get a dead arm soon if he didn't move either Buffy or his arm, and Buffy seemed happy where she was, so Xander gently prised his arm from between himself and Buffy and raised it, slipping it over her shoulder.

Xander looked at her again and a smile pulled on his lips when he saw that the frown had disappeared from Buffy's face. "Happy now huh?" he said softly "Yeah, well so long as you don't drool you can stay"

-------------------

__

(Two weeks later. Midnight)

Sean couldn't believe it. Two weeks had passed and still no sign of Buffy and Xander leaping out of Doug and Rosa Delamere's cosy little lives, even though they had both been successful in seeing that the disks didn't get stolen.

It was beginning to bug him.

Especially as it didn't seem to bug Buffy and Xander. In fact, they didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest.

Their days were spent relaxing by the pool, playing tennis, making full use of the gym facilities, flicking through the multitude of cable channels on the disgustingly huge TV, listening to music or watching videos. Any other time they got between those activities, barring mealtimes, was spent with them both talking, usually about nothing, sometimes about people and the things they missed back home. Whatever they talked about though, Sean noticed, Buffy and Xander made sure they didn't bring each other down. Most of all though, he noticed just how much more comfortable they seemed with each other - it wasn't often that they were apart... and if Sean didn't know better he could have sworn...

Right now, however, Sean noticed a slight disturbance on the force.

"Hey, did you just sneak three more men into North Africa?" Buffy exclaimed.

"It's my go" Xander stated. "And they're my extra ones for actually *having* Africa"

"But you said you weren't going to attack my Brazil" Buffy retaliated. "And now you're, like, all-all poised and stuff"

"I am so *not* *poised* Buff. And, anyway, how do I know you haven't got three of a kind with your cards and won't dump all your men in Brazil, huh?"

"Well look how many you've got in North Africa" Buffy pouted. "I'll have too!"

"Oh my God" Sean groaned softly. "Could this get any more pathetic?"

"*Hey*. We're doing this to stay awake". Xander shot a pointed look at Sean. "*You* said maybe if we *caught* these theives, we'd have more of a chance of getting *out* of here"

"And *I'm* beginning to doubt that they even exist anyway" Buffy added. "I haven't heard or seen anything of them and neither has Xander. All *we* know, is what *you* tell us"

"Well if you two managed to stay just that little more alert when these guys were around then maybe you would've" Sean shot back. "You must get so tired doing nothing all day"

"I'll have you know, it's very tiring" Buffy retorted, hoping that Xander wouldn't notice her sneaking an extra man into Alaska while his attention was on Sean. "We've done all that swimming" she continued "And there's the tennis, not to mention the horse riding" Buffy smiled at Xander when he turned back to her "That was fun. We'll have to do that again tomorrow"

"Oh, so you're not planning on catching these thieves then?" Sean said sarcastically.

Xander took the extra man back out of Alaska and Buffy pouted at him. Xander pulled a face back and looked to Sean. "Well when your little radar thing goes off" he said "And says they're here, then I'll get off my ass"

"Ditto what he said," Buffy added. "Maybe by that time, I might've actually won a game of Risk. And I don't care what you say Xander," Buffy said, taking hold of her dice "You're poised"

"Am not"

"Are too"

"This is bordering on the ridiculous"

"Is not" both Buffy and Xander shot back in unison to Sean.

Sean arched an eyebrow. "Really? Guys, you hid the disks in a packet of sanitary towels and stashed them at the back of a cupboard in the bathroom"

Buffy arched one of her own eyebrows in response. "And tell me that's not one of the last places you'd look". Buffy allowed herself a smug smile when Sean scowled slightly. "See? No guy is ever gonna look there anyway"

"I even avoid the aisle in the supermarket," Xander added.

There was a self-satisfied expression on Buffy's face as she looked at Sean. "See? Xander agrees with me too"

"Well maybe that's because I'm not under your thumb". Sean smiled a little too sweetly back at her.

"I am *not* under the thumb" Xander protested.

Sean kept smiling sweetly. "Then why are you ignoring her sneaking those men into Iceland?". Sean grinned wider when Xander opened his mouth to reply, but didn't say anything, Sean just received a scowl before Xander turned back to the game and Buffy's butter-wouldn't-melt expression.

Sean just smirked.

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

"I hate... to... say this" Xander wheezed as he tried hard to get an entire sentence out. "But Sean... was right". Wheeze. "This is border-...-ing on the ridic-... -ulous". Xander stared down the drive that led from Doug and Rosa's house down to what passed as the main road.

"I think when..." Buffy struggled for breath like Xander, and sank forward as she stood, her hands resting just above her knees. "Sean said that, he... meant... us playing... games. But I can see... that attempting... to chase after-" Buffy stopped again as she managed to stand upright. "A high performance... sports car on foot... could be seen that way "

"I think it was a Porsche" Xander said, finally getting a complete sentence out. "Did you get the license plate?"

"Before or after they tried to run me down?"

"You OK?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm fine" she told him as he came over to her. "Nothing a stiff drink won't cure". As Xander nodded in agreement, Buffy looped her arm through his and they made their way back up the drive towards the house. "And I think it would've been nice of Sean to mention that they had tapped the phones"

"Yeah. They were probably high-tailing it out of there before you even put down the phone on the cops"

"Hmm" Buffy sighed as they took the few steps up towards the front door. "Such a shame we'll have to spend some more time here"

"Buffy Summers" Xander chided, a smile on his face as he closed and locked the door behind them both. "Are you telling me you're glad those guys got away?"

Buffy faced him and shrugged "Maybe...". Buffy flashed Xander an enigmatic smile before she headed off towards the den. Apparently Doug and Rosa only used their grander rooms for entertaining. The smaller room that they'd found off the conservatory was more cosy and more what they were used to. "Do you wanna grab something snack like from the kitchen?" she called over her shoulder to Xander.

Xander stood at the foot of the stairs. "You're not tired?" he called back.

Buffy stopped and turned around. "I still need that stiff drink" she replied, running a hand through her hair. "Wanna join me for a night cap?"

Xander didn't take long to think about it. "Sure. Why the hell not?". He started off towards the kitchen to grab some food. "But just one. I don't want this turning into some kind of drinking session"

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

"No fair" Buffy whined. "You finished the bottle"

"You shouldn't have given it to me". Xander slid off the edge of the couch and onto the floor. He winced when he realised his ass was now in a half empty bowl of tortilla chips, although thankfully missing the dip. "Wonderful" Xander groaned as he lifted himself up and pushed the bowl out of his butt's way before sitting back down again - all to the sound of Buffy laughing.

"Serves you right" Buffy giggled "For drinking all my tequila". Buffy was sat cross-legged on a large cushion in the middle of the low coffee table that sat between the TV and the couch. She looked down at Xander who had now discarded the once full, large bottle of Mexico's finest and was currently brushing tortilla remnants off the rear of his jeans. "Now you have to get more snacks. You've had your ass all over them now"

"Well I would" Xander replied, his voice feeling thick in his throat as he spoke. //OK definitely drunk here. Probably not as much as Buffy, but still... drunk//. "But I can't remember where I put the food place"

"Kitchen"

"Thanks"

"Well where ~hic~ did you see it last?"

"... Can't 'member"

"Poor baby". Buffy stretched sleepily and clambered off her perch, only to crawl over towards a cupboard a few feet away. "Xannndeerrrr" Buffy was whining again "I can't find the alc'hol"

"That's the TV"

"Well where's the alc'hol then?". Buffy sat back on her heels for a moment before she collapsed slowly onto her back, her knees bent upwards as her feet were flat on the floor. "You're hiding it" Buffy hiccuped "I knows you are"

"M'not hiding it" Xander protested. He shuffled his way over to her on his hands and knees and laid down on his back beside her, mirroring her position, although lying in the opposite direction. Xander's head was a few inches away from Buffy's and he turned towards her. He reached out an arm and started patting the floor the side of him that Buffy wasn't "I think there's some JD somewhere here. Got it". He held it up a two-thirds full bottle of Jack Daniel's. "Want some"

Buffy pulled a face and shook her head "Eww no. Only if you want me barfing all over you". Buffy turned her face towards him. "Ach'ly, I think if I drink 'nymore of an'thin', I'll be sick"

"So what d'ya wanna do now?"

"I dunno" Buffy rolled over on to her side and propped her head up with her hand, her elbow resting on the floor. "Just wanna stay here. I wanna be Rosa for a little bit longer"

"We'll have to go sometime y'know"

"But... if we stayed a little longer" Buffy's voice was softer, as if she expected anyone else to hear, "It wouldn't be *so* bad would it?"

Xander rolled onto his side so that he was facing Buffy, his head propped up on his hand. "Guess not" he replied "But Sean's people won't like it much"

"Tough" Buffy had a petulant look in her eyes. "They're the ~hic~ onesh who dragged us into this in the firsht place". Buffy hiccuped again. "I've been through 'nough as it is. They owe me a vacation. It's just not the one I wanted on the beach with the... the um..."

"Cabana boys?"

"Them. And cocktails"

"Well," Xander looked around. "We've got alc'hol so that's cocktails. Guess I'll have to do as cabana boy"

Buffy giggled. "I'd better tell you they're nekkid cabana boys in my dream"

"S'good job m'not 'shamed of my body". Xander grinned when Buffy giggled again. "S'nice to hear you laugh" he said. "You should do it more often"

"Haven't had musch of a chance to recently have I?" Buffy smiled a little sadly and cast her gaze down at the carpet. "'Specially not back home"

"They'll be fine y'know" Xander reached and took hold of Buffy's free hand that was now plucking at the thick carpet infront of his face. "I promise"

Buffy met his eyes and smiled. "I was getting mushy again wasn't I?"

"Little bit" Xander smiled back. He somehow managed a shrug. "Happens to me every now and again though, so don't worry 'bout it too musch"

Buffy gave a half nod of her head. "Promise not too". Buffy took her hand from Xander's and pushed some hair back off her face. "I think it makes it easier that these last two weeks have ~hic~ been pretty fantastic"

"Fantastic huh?"

"Mm hmm" Buffy nodded. "All good"

"Even without cabana boys?"

Buffy nodded with a smile. "You're a pretty darn tootin' subsewhasit"

"Tute"

"Thanks"

"You're welcome" Xander smiled warmly. He sat up, sitting cross-legged n the floor, almost infront of Buffy. "Y'know you've made this a great time too"

"Aww that's so sweet". Buffy reached up and ruffled Xander's hair. Rolling his eyes, Xander batted Buffy's hand away. "Wassa matter?" Buffy giggled again, reaching for his hair again. "Poor Xandie doesn't wike it?"

Xander caught hold of her hand though and Buffy shrieked, trying to pull away when she saw the mischievous glint in Xander's eye. "Xand I swear". Buffy couldn't help but giggle as he tried to hoist her up. "I shwear if you even so musch as think about ticklin' me..."

"Aw c'mon Buffster" Xander had managed to get her at least up to her knees, still managing to keep hold of her wrist. "You agreed you needed to laugh more"

Buffy ducked out of range of Xander's other hand. "Not under torture though. *Hey* stop it... Xand... Ooh y'know, *fine*" Buffy matched Xander's playful glint "Two can play at this game. "Buffy ducked again out of the way of Xander's hand and managed to scoot under his defences and get a dig in his side.

"Hey!" Xander's voice came out as a half shriek as he automatically doubled over. He caught Buffy's hand with his free one as she tried to get him a second time, grinning smugly at Buffy who was now half sitting in his lap.

Buffy, who's arms were now being held out at either side of her, just rolled her eyes and smirked at Xander. "So how do you plan on tickling me now huh?"

"There is a flatal flaw, I'll admit that"

"So whadda we do now?"

"I'm open to suggeshtions"

"Ooh I know" Buffy's eyes sparkled. "We could drink more"

"I thought you said you'd be sick"

"I feel better now. I want tequila" she pouted. "Buffy want drink"

"No. You'll be sick. I know you. And stop pouting and doing that quiv'ring thing with your lip". Xander laughed when Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "The wind blows you'll stay like that". He dropped Buffy hands and adjusted his legs so that Buffy shifted into a more comfortable position in his lap. "And we're s'posed to be looking after each other 'member? That means I don't want you getting ill"

"Oh... well..." Buffy searched for a response. "Well... you can't have 'nymore either 'cos I don't want you getting sick 'n stuff". Buffy smiled. "See? This is me looking after you"

"You're doin' a wonderful job"

Buffy beamed. "I am?"

Xander nodded and then had to steady himself when Buffy suddenly threw her hands around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "Aww you're the nicest guy ever"

"S'nice. Thank you. Can you let me breathe now?"

"Oop sorry". Buffy relaxed her hold on Xander and pulled back, her arms though still around his neck. "Better?"

"'Specially now I know you're looking after me"

"Ditto. But I'm a handful. My mom said so. So you've got a big responsabibble on your hands with me"

"Responsabibble?". Xander managed to hold back his snigger for all of two seconds.

Buffy started laughing too, although not as hard as Xander. She dropped her arms from around his neck when he brought one hand up to his mouth to try and smother his guffaws.

"It wasn't that funny" Buffy chuckled. "Although it's good to hear you laugh too"

Xander took a couple of deep breaths, his laughter calming down. He then ran both his hands though his hair, before letting his hands lightly encircle Buffy's waist. "Yeah?"

Buffy nodded, giving him a warm smile. "Yeah". Buffy reached out and absently brushed a lock of hair back behind Xander's ear and then for a moment everything seemed to slow, both allowing themselves to be caught in each others gazes for just that little bit more than was usual for people who claimed to be just friends.

Buffy was the first to draw herself away, deciding to treat that moment as if it were just something ordinary. She smiled "Wanna watch TV?"

"Sure" Xander smiled back "Sounds good"

"OK. Let's see what's on". Buffy moved from Xander's lap to the spot on the floor beside him that wasn't covered in bits of tortilla chips. She grabbed the TV remote and turned the television on, absently flicking through the channels. "Oh hey look" Buffy went back one channel. "Grosse Point Blank has just started. We're watching this" she turned her face up to him "No arguments"

"You just want to drool over that Cusack guy"

Buffy kicked his foot with hers playfully. "Just shut up and watch the movie"

Xander shook his head lightly and settled back. He cast a furtive glance at Buffy as she became a little more intent of watching the screen; the pale blue light emanating from it flickered over her features. He watched her for a few seconds more in silence before turning to his attention to the TV.

-------------------

__

(Two days later. Early afternoon)

Another uneventful two days had passed which was just the way Buffy and Xander liked it. Sean on the other hand was still despairing with their less than enthusiastic approach to catch the men that were after the information stored on the two floppy disks, but both Buffy and Xander claimed that there wasn't a whole lot they could do and it wasn't Buffy's fault that she tripped over a bump (that then disappeared) in the carpet whilst she was chasing after the thieves who had, once again, escaped with nothing.

And Buffy knew that if she couldn't be back home with her family and friends then this was the next best place she'd rather be.

So, in a sort of compromise with Sean, both she and Xander had decided to be a little bit more constructive with their time. Deciding to use the time to share their skills with one another, they'd flipped a coin to see who got to go first. Buffy had won and had decided to teach Xander Tai Chi. Or at least the basics of it, thinking that they could work on it still when they got back home and that it would also keep them both fit in case they got into more situations like they'd already experienced.

Buffy loved playing teacher. Xander was a quick learner and he seemed to make it more fun than when she did this with Giles. Xander was a great person to spend time with. She loved the way they were talking about everything under the sun, loved the way he kept her in check when she got home sick, and loved the way he could just smile at her and she'd instantly feel better.

//Because that's what friends are for// Buffy smiled to herself. She sat in the large room that Doug and Rosa had converted into a gym. All the equipment was around the sides of the room so the two large non-slip mats could be set out in the centre of the floor. 

Then she heard a noise behind her and turned around to see Xander, just clad in loose grey sweatpants, enter the gym. Buffy allowed herself a spilt second of ogling. //After all, I am human//.

"Sorry I'm a little late" Xander apologised, "I thought I'd better shower after being in the pool. I think the filter has packed up and there's some stuff floating around in it. I'll check it later"

"OK, but just note now, that is *not* one of your many handyman skills I care to learn. For one thing, I don't have a pool"

"Noted" Xander replied with a smile. "I'd offer a crash course on quippy things to say when a big three horned demon is beating on you, but you've got that down. Unless you want shelving, I'm pretty much out"

"Xand, you're plenty talented. I'm sure there's lots of things you could teach me"

"Oh definitely" Xander answered, a hint of a smile on his lips as he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "But our relationship isn't on that level"

"Y'know, with that ego, I'm surprised you got through the door"

"But there's also a reason why I have that ego" Xander grinned. "So, where do you want me today?"

"Here's fine" Buffy replied. "OK. We'll start with the breathing exercises. Do you remember them from yesterday?"

"They're the ones where I have to take air in and out of my lungs aren't they?" Xander joked. Buffy swatted him on the arm. "Sorry" Xander look a little chagrined. "I remember. It's just..." he pretended to get emotional. "It's only my second time. I was a Chi virgin yesterday, remember?"

"I know" Buffy pretended to sympathise. "Such a sweet cherry to take too"

Xander put a hand on her shoulder and his other on his chest. "I'm just glad it was you"

Buffy allowed herself to smile. "Let's just get started now OK?"

Xander smiled back. "Sure". Xander took his hand from her shoulder; he dropped his arms to his sides. "But, honestly" he added "Just so you know, you *are* a good teacher. We should've done this earlier"

"We should've" Buffy agreed. "Come on, we haven't got all day y'know"

-------------------

__

(Forty minutes later)

Buffy was starting to wind them both down and Xander decided that it was about time he fixed all his concentration back onto what Buffy was trying to teach him. And not on how incredibly formfitting the white Lycra vest that Buffy was wearing was. Or the fact that her body formed these perfect lines when she was moving and... 

//OK, stop it now Xander. This is just getting ridiculous. It's that thing with the legs all over again.//

"So... come on-" Buffy started and brushed back some errant hair from her face, then she noted the extra concentration on Xander's face. "Uh Xand? You can relax during this y'know? It's not illegal"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry"

Buffy gave Xander an odd look as he came to a standstill the same time as she did. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing" Xander replied glibly.

Buffy gave him a look that said 'Yeah right', but she let it pass. "Anyway, as I was saying," she continued "I was gonna ask if you minded if I hit the sauna first seeing as how you hogged it yesterday"

"I was *not* hogging it" Xander protested "I just lost track of time"

This time Buffy said it. "Yeah right. I thought I was gonna have to come in and drag you out before you sweated to death or something"

"Can you do that?"

"Well I knew I might have to watch where I put my hands" Buffy replied "I didn't want to be grabbing anything and you meant sweat to death didn't you?"

Xander nodded "Unless you wanted to grapple with me naked" Xander paused briefly "I meant me naked not you because that would be wrong and actually me being naked would also be wrong I should just stop now shouldn't I?"

"I know I should really ask if this is a bad time" another voice came from the entrance to the gym, interrupting the twosome's babbling. "But this is fairly important"

Xander cursed inwardly when he saw that it was Doug's dad that had spoken. The man who had caused the only black spot since Buffy and Xander had been here. The man had been calling nearly every other day until finally, a week ago, Buffy had thought of a solution and spoke to Vaughn herself telling him the "truth" that she and 'Doug' were working on their marriage and that if he wanted any grandchildren at all he'd better stop calling. It had appeared to have worked.

"No, no. It's fine," Buffy said, glad for the distraction from thoughts of grappling with naked Xander. "We were just finishing up here anyway"

"What can we do for you?" Xander asked, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Sean had deigned them with his presence.

"I've been talking to Murphy" Vaughn replied, taking a few more steps into the room, before he glanced at Buffy, as if wondering if he should continue with her there.

"It's fine," Xander said, reading Vaughn's mind.

Vaughn gave him a quick nod then spoke. "Those reports on the new design for Q-Pro have become knowledge at Leicester"

Sean spoke quickly "Murphy is the contact at Leicester, a rival firm to yours-Doug's"

"So that's not good news then" Xander stated the obvious. "So what do we do?" he continued, hoping that either Sean of Vaughn would have an answer that he didn't.

"Murphy said that old Frank Leicester wanted to know what was in them" Vaughn replied. "You know they've almost caught up with us with some of the aspects of the system. If they can get hold of anything that'll put them ahead of us..." Vaughn trailed off, shaking his head "It could mean millions for the company"

"Just nod and agree" Sean told Xander helpfully. "What?" he added when Xander shot him a glancing look "He's telling you everything anyway"

"And I'll say it again" Xander said "That's not good. And I'll say this again too. What do we do?"

"Um, just throwing this in" Buffy interjected "But what exactly would this Leicester guy do to get hold of these, uh, reports?" Buffy shot a pointed look at Xander "He wouldn't... say... try and get hold of them... illegally... would he?"

"I wouldn't put it past him" Vaughn replied before Xander could get a word in. "Although Murphy didn't say anything like that. Just that they knew we had them. Murphy didn't know about the information we got from Moscow either". Vaughn looked at Xander "Doug, I tried to get into our computer files at the office but Kate, who I realise now you *did* actually hire for her brains, said only you had access to those files. Are they safe on that system? I know you've had attempts from hackers before"

"Which is why you put fake reports up on the system and have copies of everything here" Sean told Xander.

"The disks" Buffy murmured. Sean nodded at her. "Go get them. I think if Vaughn takes them" Sean started tapping away at Gizmo's keys "Then we might stand a chance of getting you out of here... bingo" Sean looked back up at Buffy "Eighty seven percent chance you'll go if Vaughn takes them. He has higher security" he added.

Buffy hesitated before she nodded and took her leave of the three men. Xander meanwhile was relaying the information from Sean back to Vaughn.

"... We've had incidents here," Xander was saying, "The other night there were people in the house. We tried to catch them but... no luck"

"Did you call the police?"

"Nothing was taken"

"But with *this* information here" Vaughn gave Xander an incredulous look. "You *should* have called the police"

"They *didn't* take anything" Xander reiterated firmly. "Nothing was damaged except for maybe a couple of flowerbeds"

"*Doug* I *don't* understand you sometimes-"

"Well *I'm* not *asking* you too" Xander kept his gaze firm. "I *wasn't* *worried*"

"*I'm* worried" Vaughn shot back. "I still have interests in this business, whether you do know or not. I *really* hope you're enjoying your time at home with Rosa-"

"I am!". Xander cursed inwardly, never meaning to raise his voice. "Sorry" he made sure he kept his gaze on Vaughn "But I *am* happy here. I've had a great time"

"Me too" Buffy said as she came back into the room. She smiled softly at Xander "It's been great". Buffy dropped the smile for Vaughn though as she held out the disks she'd just retrieved. "Here. If you're that worried about them, why don't you take them. They're not safe at your system at work. Which is why the ones there are fake. Doug's idea" she added when Vaughn raised an eyebrow. "You keep going on about your security" //Well I hope he has// "They'll be better off with you"

Vaughn looked between both Buffy and Xander. "These are the only copies?"

"Safe enough on these" Xander replied. "They're encrypted". Xander ignored the 'Huh?' look Sean gave him.

Vaughn took the disks from Buffy. "They'll be safe with me". Vaughn looked at Xander "Nice thinking about having false information. Well, I'll uh..." he trailed off a little when he noticed Buffy slip her arm around Xander's waist and her expectant look. "...Leave you two it then shall I?" he finished.

Xander put his arm around Buffy's shoulder "Well there were some other... things I had planned... with my wife"

Vaughn coughed. "Yes, I remember Rosa telling me about it on the telephone" he lightly waved the disks at them both. "I'll just get on with these then. Nice to see you both". Vaughn cleared his throat and made a hasty exit.

Buffy tilted her head up to look at Xander and smiled sadly. "I guess the honeymoon is over". She glanced at Sean. "So are we out of here?"

"Well..." Sean was fully engrossed in whatever information 'Gizmo' was spouting at him. "That seemed the most scenario likely to do it... but, um" he looked at them both "Well, you're still here"

"You don't say" Buffy said dryly. She extricated herself from under Xander's arm, giving him a pat on the small of his back as she walked over to where she'd put a towel. "Hey, does that mean I can still use the sauna?" Buffy turned back to Sean and looked at him hopefully.

Sean looked at her exasperatedly. Xander just laughed. "Buffy" Sean said, going over to her "I realise that you've grown attached to this place, but" he stopped "Oh for God's sake this is just pointless, I know it. Buffy, go take your sauna"

Buffy grinned back at him "There you go that wasn't so hard was it". Buffy looped the towel around her neck and bounced her way over to Xander. "So are you going to do something constructive?"

"Well I'm rethinking fixing the pool filter, seeing as we might leap out of here any second. But if we don't, I'm thinking... food?"

"Simple but good" Buffy replied then started out the door. "Save some for me would you?"

Sean waited until Buffy was out of earshot. "She's not going to be a happy bunny when she has to go is she?" he said to Xander.

"Maybe if she knew she was going home" Xander suggested "You might see the smile stay"

"We're still working on that Xander" Sean responded "We're getting there. But, no," Sean added, answering the question in Xander's eyes. "I can't tell you how soon"

"But you're working on it yeah?" Xander sighed and headed out of the door.

-------------------

A couple of minutes later after Sean had departed to try and discern what the hell was going on, Xander had his head stuck in the deep freeze looking for a pizza of some description that he could defrost.

He was left alone in relative silence, so it was unsurprising that when he heard his name being shouted, Xander started and ended up smacking his head hard on the edge of the door.

"Ow! *Ow* Jesus *Christ* that hurt!" Xander pressed his palm to his head and backed away from the freezer.

"Oh my God Xander I'm sorry!" Buffy's voice was filled with concern as she rushed over to him "I didn't mean to make you jump, I'm sorry. Are you OK? Oh God" Buffy's words tumbled out hurriedly as she ushered Xander over to a low stool a few feet away. "I'm sorry. I changed my mind about the sauna 'cos I just got hungry and thought I'd join you instead, I didn't know where you were then I saw your ass sticking out and I just yelled. I'm sorry. Are you bleeding?" Buffy tried to prise Xander's hand away from his head gingerly " Xander I'm so sorry, let me see OK?"

"Buffy, it's OK. I'll live" Xander let Buffy examine his head "It's OK, just stop saying sorry, you're beginning to scare me" Xander smiled to reassure her. Then he winced as Buffy's fingers hit a tender spot.

"Sorry" Buffy smiled apologetically. "Y'know, I think you will live" Buffy moved to stand infront of him "Just a bump"

"A big bump" Xander pointed out, trying to look through his hair at her. "Is it bleeding?"

"Well if you didn't have so much hair to get out of the way to see" Buffy began, brushing said hair apart on Xander's scalp "I'd be able to tell you. But no" she said, "I don't think its bleeding". Buffy probed a bit more and winced herself along with Xander when she caught the bump again.

"Sorry, right?" Xander still managed to smile.

"Sorry" she agreed. Buffy drew back so she could look at him. "Do you want some ice?"

Xander shook his head lightly "I'll manage"

"Sure?" she said, absently stroking his hair back into place.

"It's fine"

Buffy smiled softly and her hand cupped the side of his face, her thumb brushing more hair from his forehead before it travelled absently down to his cheek. Buffy's thumb stilled when she met Xander's gaze and she felt her heartbeat quicken. Her breath caught for a second before she quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to get drawn into his chocolate pools. Buffy dropped her hand from his face and studied the floor for a few seconds before she felt Xander's fingers underneath her chin, tilting her head back up to him. 

Their eyes met for again for a moment and then lips met lips in a kiss neither of them remembered leaning in for.

But all they had for a brief moment, was the feel of each other's lips pressed softly against their own before a flash of white light streaked with blue engulfed them both.

-------------------

Xander started when he suddenly found himself no longer attached to Buffy's lips, but instead found himself seated at a large, oak desk that was covered in pieces of paper - documents Xander realised when his eyes adjusted to the dim light, the only lamp turned on in the room being the bankers lamp on the desk. 

The desk he sat at was just off centre in the study he was in, the walls of which were lines with bookcases, all filled with old and dusty volumes of some text or other. The only window in the room was behind Xander and it was framed with plain brown and slightly worn curtains. A few end tables were against some of the bookcases; one had a dying potted fern, one had a stack of telephone directories on it; two had piles of newer looking books piled on them; and one other hand a framed picture of possibly some one's family. In the one place on all four walls that wasn't a door or a window, was a black, rickety looking filing cabinet.

One thing that wasn't in the room was Buffy.

Xander pushed his chair back and got up from the desk. "Buffy?" he called out, softly. "Buff?"

There was no answer.

Xander moved from behind the desk and headed towards the door. He tried the handle and the door opened easily, leading him on to a dark corridor. Xander left the study door open to give him some light as he walked cautiously out, trying to adjust his eyes and see where he was.

He carried on a few more steps, studying the walls to see if he could make out a light switch, but had no luck. All he could see was the peeling wallpaper. "Buffy?" he called softly again. He waited a few moments for an answer, but when there was none he tried calling Sean.

There was no answer from the hologram either.

Xander continued along the dark corridor. The light from the study was quickly fading and Xander couldn't see any light further up.

"Anyone?"

No one answered.

=============

to be continued...

Watch out for the next episode **_"Dance with the Devil - Part One"_** ...


	8. Dance with the Devil - Part One

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Eight: "Dance with the Devil - Part One"

Summary: Buffy and Xander find that things are spinning way out of their control.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG15 (Language)  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.   
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

Xander started when he suddenly found himself no longer attached to Buffy's lips, but instead found himself seated at a large, oak desk that was covered in pieces of paper - documents Xander realised when his eyes adjusted to the dim light, the only lamp turned on in the room being the bankers lamp on the desk. 

The desk he sat at was just off centre in the study he was in, the walls of which were lined with bookcases, all filled with old and dusty volumes of some text or other. The only window in the room was behind Xander and it was framed with plain brown and slightly worn curtains. A few end tables were against some of the bookcases; one had a dying potted fern, one had a stack of telephone directories on it; two had piles of newer looking books piled on them; and one other hand a framed picture of possibly some one's family. In the one place on all four walls that wasn't a door or a window, was a black, rickety looking filing cabinet

One thing that wasn't in the room was Buffy.

Xander pushed his chair back and got up from the desk. "Buffy?" he called out softly. "Buff?"

There was no answer.

Xander moved from behind the desk and headed towards the door. He tried the handle and the door opened easily, leading him on to a dark corridor. Xander left the study door open to give him some light as he walked cautiously out, trying to adjust his eyes and see where he was.

He carried on a few more steps, studying the walls to see if he could make out a light switch, but had no luck. All he could see was the peeling wallpaper. "Buffy?" he called softly again. He waited a few moments for an answer, but when there was none he tried calling Sean.

There was no answer from the hologram either.

Xander continued along the dark corridor. The light from the study was quickly fading and Xander couldn't see any light further up.

"Anyone?"

No one answered.

-------------------

"Xander?" was the first thing Buffy said once she opened her eyes, realising that Xander was no longer before her.

He didn't answer.

Buffy looked around the room - she was the only one in it. Frowning, Buffy looked down at what she held in her hands, a large sketch pad with a half finished pencil drawing of somebody Buffy had never seen before on it. Buffy placed that and the pencil she had also been holding to one side of the bed she was sitting in the middle of. 

Buffy cast another look around the room. It was a bedroom, decorated in a colonial style - lots of blues and creams and dark woods, the light provided by a bright bedside lamp. The bed she was sitting on was a large four poster with cream drapes that ran along the top frame and down around the posts. Against the walls stood a large wardrobe, a bookcase, a dressing table with perfumes and cosmetics scattered over it, framed pictures - some pencil sketches and some water colours hung on the walls as well as a large, guilt framed mirror. Most of the left wall was taken up with a large bay window over which currently hung heavy dark blue curtains and through a tiny gap in them Buffy could make out the black night sky and a fragment of a bright white moon.

"Xander?" she called out to the room again, hoping that he'd come through the door. Still there was nothing. "Sean?" she tried "Sean, get your holographic butt down here." Buffy waited a moment but no one appeared.

Beginning to get a little worried, Buffy got up off the bed and walked to the door. She tried the handle and found that the door was shut tight. Buffy checked for a key in the lock and ended up peering through the keyhole, finding one… on the other side of the door. The door had been locked from the outside.

Buffy banged her fist hard against the heavy wooden door. "Hey! Hello?" Buffy hit the door again "Anyone there? Hey, come on let me out." Buffy stood back from the door, staring at it. "Xander?" she tried "Come *on*. *Any*one?" Buffy hit the door a third time and waited, but no one answered or rushed to her aid.

"This is ridiculous" Buffy exclaimed, "What the hell is going on here?" Buffy quickly headed to the window, pushing the curtains aside so she could see out of the window. All she could make out were trees highlighted by the moonlight and in the distance she could see a large cluster of lights that seemed to indicate that there were near a residential area. Buffy tried the catches to try and open the side windows, but they were stiff and wouldn't budge. She tried the sash window in the middle, but that wouldn't move either. But that wasn't just stiff - it had been nailed shut.

"O-kaay" Buffy took a step back from the window, "Getting slightly worried here." Buffy took another couple of steps backwards and caught the backs of her legs against the bottom end of the bed, making herself jump a little. She turned quickly as a result and finally caught sight of her self in the mirror.

Her reflection showed a tall, willowy, plain looking woman with long, wavy, dark hair who looked as if she was in her late twenties. She was dressed in a long black skirt and a pale blue blouse; a thin silver chain hung around her neck. Buffy took a step closer to the mirror when she noticed a faint red mark just the woman's neck met her left shoulder. Buffy pulled back the collar of the blouse to see more clearly and saw the red mark was faintly purple in places. Frowning, Buffy slipped the blouse off her shoulder and turned, twisting her neck so she could see the back of the shoulder in the mirror and saw three similar red marks on the skin there.

Still frowning, Buffy pulled the blouse back up and stared back into her reflections brown eyes for a moment before she went back over to the door and hit her fist on it again. "Hello?!" she shouted "Anybody!"

Deathly silence apart from the sound of Buffy's bare foot kicking the bottom panel of the door.

"Crap! Ow!" Buffy hopped back to the bed and sat herself down, bring her foot up onto her lap and rubbing it gently with her hands. "This is wonderful" she muttered to herself "I've gone from having the run of a huge mansion, to being locked in a room and one I probably didn't want to go in judging by the marks on this woman's shoulder". Buffy sighed "And I'm all by myself."

Buffy stopped massaging her foot and sank back on to the bed. She closed her eyes and sighed again. Buffy brought her hand to her mouth and gently touched two fingertips to her lips briefly before letting her hand rest on her stomach.

"Where are you Xander?"

-------------------

Xander was, in fact, trying to open his own window in the study. It wasn't nailed shut like the window in Buffy's room; it was just stuck. He'd gotten it open at least three inches, but after that the sash window had refused to move anymore.

After a couple more minutes of trying, Xander gave up. He sat back down heavily in the leather-upholstered chair by the desk and sighed. "Sean?" Xander called weakly, more out of habit now than in hope that the hologram would actually appear - which he didn't, needless to say.

"Maybe I should turn my thoughts to the more simpler task of wondering why I decided to kiss Buffy" Xander muttered sarcastically to himself. He groaned and covered his face with his hands before pushing them pushing the up over his forehead and leaving them clasped atop his head. Xander swivelled himself and the chair around so he was facing the window and stared out at the night sky.

He couldn't see much; just the tops of trees, moonlight glancing off the bare uppermost branches and in the distance he could just make out a group of flickering lights on the horizon. A few stars shone dimly out from behind the many clouds; only the moon appeared bright against the blackness.

Xander took a deep breath and found himself breathing some fresh air that wafted in from the small gap in the window, before he exhaled slowly, letting his hands fall to the arms of the chair. "So… thoughts about kissing Buffy…" he mused "OK, first one… which is probably that I didn't *think* at all. Two; she's my best friend, one of them anyway. I don't go around kissing best friends. Anymore." Xander sighed. "Three; In the moment… it felt… right?… not *such* a bad thing?" he closed his eyes "And four…" Xander chewed on his bottom lip a little "Four… the fact that Buffy didn't seem to be going anywhere…"

Xander opened his eyes, staring out of the window again. "Another fact…" he continued "One fact I'm very clear about. That I have a girlfriend. One that I miss" he said softly. "One that I love."

He sighed. "In conclusion? I'm still as confused as hell."

Xander stayed sat infront of the window in reflective silence for a few more minutes before he thought he heard something outside the study. Something very much like the sound of footsteps on creaky floorboards.

Swivelling around slowly in his chair so that he was facing the door to the study, Xander hoped that the person he was about to get a visit from was Buffy. He didn't know what he was going to say to her if it was; he just wanted to know if she was OK.

But it wasn't Buffy.

Instead Xander was greeted by the sight of an elderly man who stood about half a foot shorter than Xander. The man had a band of thinning white hair that ran around the bottom half of his otherwise completely bald head. He also wore glasses that were currently perched half way down his large nose and he was dressed in a pair of dark grey trousers, a grey shirt and a black cardigan with leather patches on the elbows.

The man also carried a chipped mug of black liquid in one hand and a lit candle in a holder in the other; both of which were placed on the desk where there was a space amongst all the mess.

"I thought you could use one of these," the old man said.

"…Thanks." The smell of too strong coffee drifted under Xander's nose as he leant forward, his forearms resting on the desk. He nodded towards the candle "You managed to find your way here with just that?"

"I've lived here for years, Harry." There was a slight tremble in the man's voice. "I know every damn knothole in this place" he smiled a little "That's why I thought *you* might appreciate the light for later. Plus it saves on the electricity."

Xander offered a smile back. "It's appreciated."

The old man looked down at the documents on the desk. "Have you had much luck them?" he asked "I know your father left things in a bit of a mess and it was too much for me to take on…" he trailed off, looking at Xander oddly. "You aren't wearing your glasses?"

"Oh…" Xander's gaze flitted quickly over the desk before he spotted a pair of oval shaped, wire rimmed spectacles that sat on the desk by the lamp. He hadn't seen them before. Xander picked them up, just holding them infront of him. "Yeah, uh, had a little bit of a headache."

"Well just so long as you got a start on all this" the old man gestured to the papers spread out in front if Xander. He paused, his smile fading a little; his expression became more sincere "You know, I get the feeling your mother really is glad to have you here. No matter what she says."

"Well… that's good to know. Um…" Xander looked down at the papers; there were account sheets and what appeared to be land deeds and other official looking documents. He looked back up at the old man. "And this does look like it's going to be a big job…" Xander trailed off when the other man looked like he wanted to say something. "What is it?"

The older man scratched his head "Your mother… she-she didn't want you to know…"

"Know what?"

"Its Maggie" the man lowered his voice as if expecting to be overheard. "She had another… episode… attacked your mother, or so your mother said. I wasn't there, I-I didn't see… but your mother wanted her taken to her room. She got Tom to help…"

"And why wouldn't my mother" Xander said, "Want me to know this?"

"She knows what you're like about the way she deals with Maggie" was the reply. "But the girl's not right, you know that." The old man paused, looking at his watch. "It's late. Maggie's probably asleep by now anyway. I know I should be…" he started towards the door.

"So why tell me if I wasn't supposed to know?" Xander got up and walked around the desk.

The old man turned to face him. "You're working so hard for this family, even after… well, you know" he gave Xander a sad look. "But this place has been falling apart for years. Maybe there isn't anything that can be done" the man raised a hand in a farewell "Good night Harry."

"'Night". Xander watched the old man start to leave before he looked back to the pile of papers on the desk. //Do I really want to stay here tonight?//. "Hey wait up" Xander took the candle off the desk, grabbing the spectacles as an afterthought, before turning off the lamp and hurrying after the other man. "You can tell me more about this thing with Maggie."

Xander saw the hesitant look on the other man's face as the candle light flickered across it. "There's not much more I can tell you Harry," the old man said in a low voice as they walked, Xander holding back just a little, letting the old man lead the way. "I wasn't there" the old man continued "I think its that your mother can see your sister going the same way as your father. She didn't know how to handle that either."

//Oh great// Xander thought //Just exactly what am I getting myself into here?//. Xander scratched absently at his head. "I don't suppose you have any ideas as to what I can do about it, do you?" he asked.

The old man chuckled "You've been here a week Harry and you're working almost night and day as it is and you want to take on counselling as well?" Another chuckle. "Maybe I'm wrong and it's not the genes, maybe it's just the house that makes the people here crazy."

//Crazy?// Xander groaned inwardly. //Oh boy//.

-------------------

__

(One hour later)

"O-kaay" Buffy murmured quietly to herself as she crouched infront of the door, her eye line level with the keyhole. "This works in movies and books…" continued as she adjusted the sheet of paper she'd torn from the sketchpad and had placed on the floor under the door. "Just got to nudge it a little…." Buffy started to gently probe the keyhole with the implement she'd constructed (a hair grip straightened out and then fastened to the end of the pencil - as the pencil was too large to go through the key hole).

Buffy bit her lip a few moments later when she felt something hit the other end of the device. "Uh huh…not too hard…" Buffy began to chew on her lip as she pushed and twisted the device just a little and heard a faint sound of metal against metal. Hoping that it was the key actually moving out of the lock and pushed some more, finally hearing an audible click. Buffy smiled a self-satisfied smile "And thank you Giles for teaching me some non-Watchery skills."

//And help me avoid thinking about certain mackage between me and Xander. Damn!//. "Great" Buffy muttered, ending with a sigh. "And that lasted for all of ten minutes." Managing to focus her attention for a moment more on her current task, Buffy gave the key one final prod and felt it move and then heard it fall to the floor on the other side of the door. "*Please* let it have fallen on the paper" Buffy clasped her hands together and prayed to someone, *any*one who was listening.

Placing the makeshift lock pick on the floor, Buffy gingerly took hold of the edge of the sheet of paper and began to pull it towards her, all the time hoping that even if the key had landed on the paper, it was still small enough to get though the small gap under the door. "And then hopefully" she murmured "I can get myself out of here and try and figure out what the hell is going on here." //Not to mention finding Xander//.

Buffy stopped pulling on the paper when she heard something clink lightly against the door on the other side. "Score" Buffy hissed quietly, Buffy bent forward so her head was almost on the floor and so she could see under the door. She smiled. "Oh I'm good." Buffy sat back up again and pulled the paper the rest of the way through; complete with key.

She picked it up and then stood, just looking at the key. A slight frown crossed her face. "But then" she reflected "If I do find Xander…" she trailed off, chewing her bottom lip again. "Can I look him in the eye?"

Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed, toying with the key in her hand. "I can't even remember who kissed who." She smiled ruefully. "And would it matter anyway?"

Buffy knew it definitely wasn't something she'd planned. How could she plan something like that? Xander was her friend. A close friend. One who had a girlfriend. Who was an ex-vengeance demon. You definitely didn't plan to steal an ex-vengeance demon's boyfriend.

//Wait. *Steal*? Suddenly I've gone from just *kissing* to *stealing*?//. "Ughhh" Buffy groaned as she flopped backwards onto the bed. She put her hands over her face, key still in one hand, and sighed deeply. "Why me? Why does my life have to get complicated?"

Buffy spread her hands out to her sides and stared up at the ceiling. "Sean, if you're there, I'd really appreciate some advice". 

Buffy waited. But there was no answer, no advice.

-------------------

No advice that she would've been able to hear anyway.

"Buffy come on" Sean was beginning to sound anxious "I'm here OK? I don't have any advice on the kissing situation and what the hell am I doing?" Sean threw his hands up into the air. "You can't hear me!". Sean groaned loudly in frustration and then looked hopefully at Buffy as she still lay on the bed. "Can you?"

Buffy didn't answer. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. 

Which just confirmed what Sean had known since he'd first got to both Buffy and Xander only a few minutes after they'd leapt into their new lives and hadn't been able to communicate with either of them…

… that there was something very wrong here.

Sean cursed under his breath and tapped a few keys on Gizmo's illuminated keypad, waited a few moments and then scoffed loudly at the information that returned. "Yeah, you don't say. Like I can't *tell*". 

Sean sighed and tapped a few more keys. "I'm getting a sinking feeling here guys," he said. "And nobody is throwing out any life preservers."

Sean watched Buffy as she stared thoughtfully at the key and he wished he knew what was running through Buffy's head that made her place the key on the dressing table before she climbed back on the bed, pulling the blankets up around her and then laying her head on the pillows.

"Thinking things will be better in the morning huh, Buffy?" Sean pondered, still watching her as she closed her eyes. Sean sighed tiredly and gave a shake of his head. "You and me both Buffy" he said "You and me both"

-------------------

__

(Early hours of the next morning)

Xander hadn't been asleep for the last hour, yet he still lay with his head on the pillow and his eyes closed, hoping that any minute now would be the minute he'd fall asleep. His night had been restless, Xander spending most of his time tossing and turning, unable to catch more than an hour at a time of sleep.

If he was honest with himself, the reason for his restlessness wasn't just the thought of not being in able to get in touch with Sean or apparently anyone from the project, it was also the prospect of what he was going to say to Buffy when they finally found each other.

Did 'I'm sorry. I was a prick. Don't hate me' sound plausible enough?

//Maybe I should add the part about not telling my girlfriend//. With that thought Xander groaned, screwing his eyes shut as pinpricks of guilt started up in his head. //I *am* a prick// Xander sighed with resignation //Forgive me Ahn//.

Deciding that now he was *definitely* not going to get any sleep with the guilt he was feeling, Xander sighed again and kicked the bed covers away from himself. He'd not bothered to get undressed the previous night; simply kicking off his shoes and falling onto Harry's bed and spending a good while staring at the ceiling and asking questions that he wasn't getting answers to.

And now he opened his eyes to a room that seemed to depict his mood; the battleship grey of the paint on the walls and the dust that still clung to the skirting boards combined with the lack lustre furnishings seemed to set off the room's whole despondent ambience.

From what he gathered from the old man the previous night, Xander knew that he - Harry - had only been in the house for a week and, it seemed, that Harry had come back home to try and sort out some family mess. Xander hadn't been able to ascertain whether Harry's father had died or had simply left the household and the family. Whatever the reason, Xander had been sure it hadn't been a happy departure. In fact, nothing about this house seemed happy. Bleak, seemed to sum up everything quite well, Xander thought.

Xander stood up and looked around the room hoping that there was something for him to see his reflection in, but there was no mirror apparent. Deciding that maybe he should look into at least changing his shirt, Xander stepped over to the closet that stood against the wall by the one and only window in the room. Inside hung a selection of clothes; two half-decent looking suits, with plain and checked shirts in understated colours and a selection of dark trousers hanging alongside them. Xander pondered over them for a moment before picking out a simple grey shirt to replace the dark blue one that he wore now.

Xander changed as he took a chance to look out of the window. His view hadn't improved since last night. He couldn't even tell if he was still on the same side of the house. It was grey and foggy, there were still trees that covered most of the landscape and the ground was covered with an early morning frost.

"And somewhere around here is a vampire slayer" he murmured. Xander did up the final button on his shirt and turned away from the window, picking up his shoes and starting to put them on. "Now I've just got to find her."

Xander picked up Harry's spectacles before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. It was still dark but not enough that he couldn't see. He made his way along the hallway quietly, thankful that no floorboards creaked underneath his feet as he passed a few closed doors. Xander was quite surprised at the size of the house; the hallway seemed to go on for a while before he found himself on a large landing from which two more hallway led off and a flight of stairs provided the way down to the next floor whilst up above there was a hatch in the ceiling to an attic.

Xander started to make his way down the staircase carefully. It wasn't that he didn't want to be discovered by those who lived in the house, Xander would just rather have the chance to look around by himself.

Once downstairs, Xander flicked on the lamp that sat on a table by the front door and began checking out the hallway. It seemed a little bit neater than the rest of the house; the walls were wood panelled and the floor was hardwood panels covered at the foot of the stairs with a red toned swirl patterned rug.

Xander ventured towards the room nearest to him and opened the door carefully. He stepped inside what he found to be a sitting room and was immediately greeted with the smell of stale cigarette smoke. Xander coughed a little as he went to the window and drew open the curtains and got his first view of what lay outside the front of the house. It wasn't the view from his window; instead here he saw a large circular gravel driveway - a small grassy island in the middle and a road leading from the circle away from the house and disappearing into a mass of trees. 

Xander turned back to the room. It wasn't a big room - only about the size of the main part of Xander's own apartment. It did seem to be well used though - a few personal odds and ends were scattered about, a blue pullover hung over the back of one of the sofas that faced the coal burning fireplace and a couple of china cups and saucers sat on a tray on the coffee table that sat between the sofa and the fire. There was also a large mirror that hung over the fireplace.

Xander made his way over to it and caught side of his head and shoulders in the reflective glass. Harry seemed to be the same build and about as tall as him, maybe an inch shorter. He had dark, almost black hair that hung in unruly waves around his face and on the nape of his neck and he had green eyes that seemed just a little too old to belong to the young man's face. Harry wasn't that attractive, some would say interesting looking and there were a few old acne scars on his cheeks and Harry's nose that had been broken and not set back quite straight. Xander took Harry's glasses out of the top pocket of his shirt and put them on, surprised that he could see reasonably well out of them - Harry's prescription didn't seem to be that strong.

Xander took them off though and looked around the room again and, deciding that there wasn't much more of interest, he went back into the front hallway again. He went into the room opposite and found it to be a dining room, a large oval table in the centre of the room surrounded by high backed chairs gave that one away. Xander walked around the table and tried the door that was in the corner near the back of the room - it was open and Xander stepped through into a small narrow passage way with another closed door at the other end a few feet away.

Xander tried that door to and found it opened into a large, rustic looking kitchen where he happened upon a young man just maybe a year or two younger than himself who seemed to be quite happy rummaging around in one of the many cupboards that lined the walls of the kitchen.

At the noise of the door opening and Xander's footsteps on the stone tiled floor, the young boy turned around, almost tripping over the untied laces of his work boots. He was dressed in blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt, had pale skin and sandy, blond hair that fell over his face, obscuring most of his features.

"M-mister Grantham?" the young boy stuttered "I-I didn't expect-" the young boy shook the hair out of his face "Anyone to be up this early. Even your grandfather doesn't…" he trailed off "Um, did you want me for anything?" The teenager shifted awkwardly "'Cause your mom, I mean Mrs Grantham said I sh-should just get whatever you wanted"

"No, it's fine" Xander smiled as he spoke, trying to ease the boy's obvious nerves. "I'm good. Don't need anything. Just couldn't sleep that's all". Xander took a few steps closer towards the boy and gestured to the cupboard that the teenager had been searching through. "Do you need any help finding something?" 

The teenager looked behind him to the cupboard and then back to Xander. "Oh, n-no. I thought I'd put something i-in there last night. I must have left it somewhere else when Mrs Grantham wanted me to help with Ma-" suddenly he stopped short and a guilty look flickered over his face. "I-I should really-" the teenager turned and started to gather up a couple of things from the counter top, not bothering to finish his sentence before bolting out of the kitchen and through a door that led to somewhere else Xander had yet to discover in the house.

"Uh huh" Xander stood still for a moment. "Well that was interesting. Obviously someone was very jumpy about me knowing he'd 'helped' Harry's sister into her room last night." Xander walked the length of the counters, drumming his fingertips on the marble tops as he ran thoughts through his mind. "And that would probably make that guy Tom. The old man who I met last night is most likely Harry's grandfather. So I've got a mother of the household to meet and an apparently crazy sister" Xander stopped and sighed and looked out of the kitchen windows, still not able to make out anything of interest - just more grass and trees.

Xander headed towards the door that Tom had gone through. The door was banging to and fro in a breeze and Xander pushed the door and found himself in a small porch that opened out onto the grounds at the back of the house, a path leading from the couple of steps from the porch and following the circumference of the house until it curved around the corner and disappeared out of sight.

Xander shoved his hands in his pockets and shivered against the slight breeze that swirled around him before starting along the path to see where it would take him.

-------------------

Buffy stretched and yawned, pushing hair out of her face before sitting up in the bed, the covers pooling around her middle. "And don't I just love sleeping fully clothed." she muttered to herself, scratching her arm absently. "Ugh, OK, lets see what else this woman has got to wear. I'm not taking a shower in this place until I know what the hell is going on."

She yawned again as she got out of the bed and cast a quick look at the window and the grey morning that greeted her. "Yup. It looks about as cheerful outside as I feel."

Buffy took a pair of dark trousers and a thin, pale pink sweater from the wardrobe and grabbed some underwear from the chest of drawers by the bed and changed into them, leaving the other clothes on the bed. She grabbed the key from where she'd left it in the dressing table and was about to let herself out of the room when she heard voices on the other side of the door. Buffy held her breath and stepped back from the door and stood by the window, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't notice that the key was no longer in the lock the other side.

But whoever it was didn't notice and the voices began to head away from the room and became more distant. Buffy exhaled slowly. All she wanted to do was find Xander, she didn't need the aggravation of having to make small talk with people she didn't know and had also apparently locked her in this room.

Buffy ran a hand through her hair //But *where* do I start looking for Xander?// she asked herself //I don't even know where *I* am//. She sighed and turned to gaze out of the window and at the outside world. It was the same view as the previous night.

Except for the strangely familiar form that she spotted walking along a path just below where her window looked out.

-------------------

Xander wished he'd swiped that pullover he'd seen in the sitting room earlier as he shivered again against the biting breeze that blew around him. He kicked a large stone and watched it tumble down the path. He thought it odd that the sound of the stone carried on even after it had stopped. Then he realised the sound was coming from above him.

Xander stopped and looked up, but couldn't see anyone or anything immediately so he took a step back and strained his eyes a little further.

Buffy was looking back down at him from the window above.

Xander felt his whole body fill with relief and a smile broke out on his face, all thoughts of awkwardness between the two of them forgotten for a while. He raised his hand in greeting and saw Buffy smile back down at him, raising her own hand in reply.

He thought he saw Buffy trying to say something to him, but he couldn't make out anything. He frowned and cupped his ear, shaking his head to let her know. Buffy then went to try and open a window and he saw the effort on her face; then she stepped back and shook her head. Buffy pointed to herself then downwards and then to Xander. He frowned again until he realised that she meant she was going to come to him. Xander nodded and indicated that he'd stay where he was. Buffy gave him a thumbs up sign and suddenly vanished from the window.

-------------------

Buffy's whole mood had lifted. She hurriedly slipped on a pair of mules that she found by the door and, unable to hear any noises the outside the room, unlocked the door and stepped out onto the hallway.

"Geez, talk about your fixer'upper" Buffy mumbled as she got her first look of the house outside the room "Does no one around here know how to use a duster?"

Buffy slipped quietly past all the closed doors and made her way quickly to the large landing and then down the stairs, quickening her step even more when she heard another voice coming from somewhere above her on the first floor.

Once at the bottom, Buffy realised that she didn't know which way was going to be the fastest route to Xander. The front door was an option, but she worked out that the room she'd been in was somewhere nearer to the back of the house - and she didn't know where the back door was, or even if there was one. Buffy hedged her bets and tried the front door, flipping the latch back that locked it on the inside and stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind her.

Buffy headed along the path that ran along by the house, stooping as she passed windows, not wanting to be seen by anyone who might have happened to be inside. Someone obviously had good reason to have locked her, or whoever her reflection belonged to, in that room last night and Buffy guessed that whoever it was, wouldn't be too pleased that she was now roaming about outside.

-------------------

The moment he saw her appear from around the corner, Xander felt that smile appear again on his face. "Hey" he greeted, closing the distance between them "Good to see you."

"Finally" Buffy smiled a little ruefully. She touched her hand to his arm briefly "By the time I was able to get away last night, it was late" 

"Same here" Xander replied "I don't suppose you've seen Sean?"

Buffy shook her head "You?"

"No. I tried all last night" Xander told her "I don't like it" he added "Even if he has nothing to tell us, he usually appears if we call."

"I know" Buffy looked up at the house, tucking some hair behind her ears as the wind started to blow it in her face. "This place is a little creepy." Buffy hugged her arms to her chest as she started to feel the chill.

The house was built of dark brown brick with the black framed windows and doors edged with black bricks and the roof was covered with black slate. Reasonably neatly trimmed ivy clung to the wall in many places and on occasion threatened to start covering the windows.

"Yeah…" Xander looked around the grounds "I managed to get a look around this morning…" he turned back to Buffy who was still looking at the house "And I know that I'm called Harry Grantham and that Harry has only been here a week. There's at least three other people who live here, um, Harry's grandfather, his mother and his sister. There was another guy I saw a little earlier, Tom I think, but I don't know whether he lives here or not. He's not family though."

"Wow" Buffy smiled a little, turning back to him "You've done well. I haven't had a chance to get about anywhere. I arrived to find myself in a locked in some woman's bedroom. I got the door unlocked, but like I said, it was late and… and why are you looking at me like that?"

"I think you might be Maggie." Xander realised.

"Maggie?"

"Harry's sister" Xander informed her. "Harry's grandfather, at least I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure he was anyway, informed me last night that Maggie had attacked her mother. Apparently" he added. "The old guy didn't seem too convinced."

"And she got locked in her room" Buffy finished. She frowned and looked quizzically at Xander "Why would she attack her mother?"

"Uh… well, judging from what the old guy said last night, I think Maggie might be a little bit, um-"

"What?"

"Crazy."

Buffy blinked "Wonderful. And I think you're supposed to say she has mental health issues" she sighed. "But… whatever…" Buffy shoved put her hands in her pockets and scuffed her toe against the stony path and stared out at the trees. "I just wanna know what we've got to do and get out of here."

There was a moment of silence between them before Xander spoke. "Buff?"

Buffy noted the hesitant tone in Xander's voice before he had spoken. //Oh please Xander don't//. Buffy didn't look at him. //I can't get into what happened before… that kiss…//. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and Buffy found herself turning her head and looking right into Xander's eyes.

Or rather she would have been had he not put on Harry's glasses.

"D'ya think they're me?" Xander asked, trying to sound serious.

"Very nice Xander" Buffy said dryly. She looked at him questioningly "Where did you get them?"

"Oh, they're actually Harry's" Xander told her "And I can wear them OK if people start to get suspicious as to why Harry's eyesight has suddenly got better overnight."

"Hey, keep them on" Buffy urged when Xander went to take the glasses off "Really, they do actually suit you"

"Really?" Xander didn't sound to sure, but he pushed the glasses back up his nose anyway. He looked at Buffy in silence for a moment before giving her an awkward smile "So… do you think that there's much more stuff we can talk about before we have to have that inevitable conversation?"

Buffy smiled ruefully "Do we have to? I had a whole conversation worked out about how we might be here to redecorate."

Xander gave a little half-hearted laugh and looked down at the ground briefly before looking back at her. "Do you want to go inside?" Xander nodded his head back towards the house "The wind's picking up a bit out here."

Buffy nodded and was just about to start following Xander as he started back towards the house before a shrill voice calling…

"Maggie!"

… stopped them both in their tracks. Both she and Xander turned to see a middle-aged woman who was leaning with her head and shoulders outside of the window and was looking at them both with shock.

"Maggie!" the woman called again "What do you think you're doing?!"

"So I'm guessing that's mom?" Buffy said to Xander in a quiet voice.

"I'd say that's a pretty good guess" Xander replied "Do you think we can ignore her?"

"Up to you. But then," Buffy added "Which conversation would you rather have?"

"Want to see what mom has to say?" Xander didn't even seem to hesitate.

"Good choice."

"I thought so."

-------------------

About a minute later, both Buffy and Xander found themselves being immediately confronted in the front hallway by the middle-aged and big built woman who shouted to them outside. She was as tall as Xander and wore a black dress that seemed to tent her entire figure. Her once black and now greying hair in a tight chignon and she had the same green eyes that Harry had.

The fierce expression that she wore made Xander wonder if he'd made the right decision in choosing to speak to her rather than talk to Buffy about their little indiscretion, until he noticed that the look was directed at Buffy rather than him. 

"I don't know how you got out of your room young lady," the woman's voice boomed out across the hall "But you can be *damned* sure you're going back there."

"She's fine right here." Xander said firmly, meeting the woman's fierce look that immediately became kinder as she looked at him, although there appeared to be some reluctance in giving it. "Why didn't you tell me what happened last night?" Xander continued "It would have been nice to know." //And the Oscar goes to…//

Mrs Grantham squared her shoulders, crossing her arms just under her ample bosom "You were in your father's study." she replied with a touch of haughtiness. "You had said you didn't want to be disturbed." Mrs Grantham turned her gaze back to Buffy, but still addressed Xander. "Your sister was dealt with as per usual."

"Yes, I appear to have the bruises to prove that." Buffy made sure she bored her glare right back at the older woman.

"Bruises?"

Buffy turned her head to see Xander looking at her with concern and realised that she hadn't mentioned it to him. "I'm fine." she reassured him "Really."

Xander shot a dark glare back at Harry's mother "So where are yours then?"

Mrs Grantham faltered; appearing a little alarmed by the look in the young man's eyes "W-where are my what?"

"Your bruises." Xander replied "If Maggie attacked you like you said, then surely you'd have some evidence?"

"She flew for me Harry!" Mrs Grantham exclaimed, shooting an accusatory look at Buffy. "You know what she's like." She looked back at Xander almost imploringly "You've seen her do it before."

"What is going on down here?" The old man's voice was surprisingly loud as it carried down the stairs. "All of you are enough to wake the entire house." 

"We're sorry," Buffy said as the old man began to make his way slowly down the stairs. Buffy ignored the glare Mrs Grantham was giving her. "We didn't realise."

"We were just trying to straighten things out" Xander shot a pointed look at Harry's mother "I just think I should know what goes on" //And boy am I getting into this//.

"I know" the older man said "But try and keep it down the next time you want to talk about things" he continued "Your grandmother doesn't need this when she's trying to get her rest"

"The doctor said she was getting better, Herbert" Mrs Grantham said to the old man "I do wish you'd stop fussing over her"

"When was the last time you spent even five minutes with her alone, Lizzy?" Herbert asked, peering over his glasses with a steely look. "And I wouldn't trust that doctor as far as I could throw him."

"Doctor Greenburg is a perfectly reputable man" Lizzy declared, her tone daring he old man to challenge her. "And don't call me Lizzy. It's Elizabeth."

Buffy glanced sideways at Xander, almost at the same time as he looked at her. "Are you thinking you'd've rather had the other conversation?" she murmured so only Xander should be able to hear.

"The moment I walked in the door" Xander muttered back.

"What are you two whispering about?" Mrs Grantham cut in and Buffy and Xander turned their attention back to her.

"Something for later" Xander replied "And perhaps that's when we should finish this conversation" Xander looked at Herbert "If my grandmother needs rest, then she can have it."

"Fine" Mrs Grantham said snippily "But you know I'll be mentioning it to Doctor Greenburg." And with that she turned on her heel and headed into the dining room.

Herbert stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching after Harry's mother as she stormed off. When the dining room door slammed closed behind her, he shifted gaze to Buffy and Xander. He sighed "Maggie, you know you're not well and you know that that idiot doctor is going to be out here this afternoon" Herbert turned to Xander "You should get her back up to her room out of your mother's way"

"I think I can manage to stay out of her way down here" Buffy said and added, "She's not an easy person to miss"

Herbert looked at Buffy oddly "But you usually take any chance you can get to shut yourself away there" he frowned a little "But saying that, you have been a little better around the house now that your brother is home". Herbert looked warmly at Xander and then at Buffy "I remember you two when you weren't even knee high. Inseparable you were."

Suddenly a crashing sound and a shout from outside changed the nostalgic look on the old man's face to one of shock. Both Buffy and Xander turned and dashed back out the front door, another shout alerting them where to go.

They hurried around to the left of the building, Herbert and Mrs Grantham's voices not too far behind them, and Xander found himself looking at the young man he'd spoken to a little earlier in the kitchen, as he clung desperately to the drainpipe that ran across the top of the house, his feet scrabbling to gain purchase against the high wall of the house. On the ground beneath him was a ladder that had fallen and now lay in two halves and also several broken tiles from the hole in the roof the young guy had obviously been trying to repair.

"Oh my God, Tom!" Herbert cried.

"Oh this is not good" Xander looked up. "That's a nasty drop."

"What can we do?" Buffy looked at the ladder on the floor and then to Herbert "We need another ladder. Anything!"

Xander was still looking up at the roof. "Try and find something, hell even something to catch him with" he started back towards the house.

"Where are you going?!" Buffy called after him.

"Up to the roof!" Xander called back over his shoulder "I can get up to the attic!"

"Be careful!" Buffy called after him. She then looked back up at the guy hanging from the roof "Hey, just try and keep calm, OK?!" Buffy shouted to him "Just… hang in there" she ended up finishing lamely. Buffy turned to the old man "So, how are we on that ladders front?"

-------------------

Xander made his way quickly up to the landing and jumped up to grab the handle on the attic hatch. He stepped back quickly as it opened easily and stairs folded down from the opening to meet him. Xander took the steps quickly, nearly banging his head on the ceiling. He stooped as he stepped carefully onto the exposed beams. He was able to see as the hole in the roof provided sunlight enough to see by.

Xander made his way to the low gap in roof and poking his head through, he could see the other man's hands gripping for dear life on to the less than safe looking drainpipe.

"Hey" Xander called, trying to see if he could get more than half his body out - the roof sloping at an awkward angle, preventing him from just being able to take the other man's hands. "I'm going try and get myself balanced, OK?"

"The ladder just snapped" came the shaky response "My h-hands hurt"

"Don't worry about it, OK?" Xander replied, "I'll get you up"

-------------------

Buffy watched anxiously as she saw Xander lean out of the gap and lay flat against the tiles. "Please be careful Xan," she said softly.

She bit her lip, her hands fidgeting by her sides, finally letting out a sigh of relief when Xander managed to grab hold of one of the Tom's wrists.

Then she cried out when suddenly the drainpipe gave way, the sudden weight of the other man just hanging onto his wrist, pulling Xander even further out of the gap and down the roof towards the edge.

Xander was trying desperately to grab hold of the other man's hand as it flailed about at the same time as Xander was also trying to stop himself going any further down the tiles.

"Try and keep still!" Buffy called up to the young blonde guy "You're going to bring both of you down!"

But Tom was getting panicky, swinging from Xander's hand and Buffy saw Tom slip a little from Xander's grip. Buffy heard Xander shout to him to just try and keep calm but he still scrabbled wildly.

"Just keep still!" Buffy called up "I'm coming up there!"

But just as Buffy started to run to the house, Tom cried out as he managed to kick himself away from the house just a little too far and his slipped from Xander's grasp.

-------------------

__

(A couple of hours later)

Buffy stood in the doorway to the sitting room, looking in on Xander, who sat in one of the arm chairs by the fire. His back was slightly to her and Buffy could only see a little of his face. Buffy's brows knitted in concern when she saw the harrowed look on his face.

Buffy took a deep breath and started over to him. "Hey" she greeted in a soft voice.

"Hey" Xander replied, but continued to be fascinated by a particular spot on the wall sitting room wall, even as Buffy stood by him. "Has everyone gone?"

"About twenty minutes ago apparently" Buffy replied, perching herself on the arm of the couch nearest to Xander. "Herbert came up to Maggie's room to let me know. He said he was worried about you" she continued softly "Said you'd barely spoken to anyone since the police."

Xander pulled his gaze away from the wall and turned to Buffy. She saw the pained look in his eyes and touched her hand to his arm gently. //I shouldn't have let them hustle me upstairs// Buffy berated herself. 

Buffy had been the first to reach Tom after he'd fallen, and quickly felt for a pulse. She'd found one, but it had been incredibly weak. Mrs Grantham had rushed inside to call an ambulance while Buffy and Herbert and stayed with Tom, but Buffy didn't hold out much hope that Tom would last until the paramedics arrived - she'd heard the crack of his head hitting the stone path and Tom's blonde hair was matted with blood and his neck lay at an awkward angle.

When Xander had made his way down, he'd just stood and stared at Tom as he laid unconscious on the ground, a thin line of blood slowly trickling from the man's lips.

Paramedics had arrived too late and the police arrived soon after them along with the coroner. Mrs Grantham had also apparently called Dr Greenburg and a still shell shocked Xander couldn't stop Buffy from being manhandled up the stairs and back to her room. She hadn't been locked in, but Buffy didn't want to argue with the doctor who was even taller and larger than Mrs Grantham. The police had been up to see her, asking routine questions about what she saw; she'd told them and they'd gone, seemingly satisfied with her telling of events.

And as Xander looked back at her now, Buffy just wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him that everything was going to be all right. And Buffy would have had Xander not got up before she had the chance and gone and stood infront of one of the windows that looked out at the front of the house.

Buffy followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. Xander continued to stare out of the window for a moment more before he looked at her. 

"How can it happen like that?" he agonised. "One minute I had hold of him, the next-" Xander couldn't finish the sentence. He looked down at the floor and closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "Everything was so quick."

Buffy rubbed her hand comfortingly up and down Xander's arm. "Xan, it was an accident, OK? An accident."

Xander opened his eyes and looked back at her "I just feel like it was all my fault" he whispered. "I just keep thinking that I should've been able to hold on, just a few moments more and I would've been able to get him back up, I should've-"

Buffy cut Xander short as he began to get emotional by putting one of her fingers over his lips. "Xander, don't" she implored. "Don't let it eat you up. It was an *accident*."

Xander closed one of his hands around Buffy's, pulling it gently away from his mouth, and squeezed it tenderly before letting it go. "Buffy, right now, I feel… I feel like the *worst* guy in the world."

"But you're not" Buffy told him. "You're one of the best, OK?" she cupped either side of his face with both hands. "Listen to me Xander. It was an accident. It *wasn't* your fault. I *know* because I was *there* and I *saw*."

Xander tried to find words to reply. He could feel the pinpricks of tears in the corners of his eyes as Buffy's words started to hit home. Xander drew in a shaky breath an closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against Buffy's.

Buffy dropped her hands to his shoulders and closed her own eyes. She felt Xander's arms around her, his strong hands firm against her back. "It'll be OK" she whispered softly. "I promise" she added as she then wrapped her own arms back around Xander.

"Great. These two share anymore moments like this, I'm gonna be officiating at their wedding. Just good friends my ass; there's sparks enough here light up L.A. I just hope they don't want any advice from me, the state of my love life at the moment and *yes* Juan, I'm talking about *you*, you cheating Spanish wanker. Just make sure you keep your tongue out of that steroid addled bastards mouth long enough to fix this problem we're having here."

Upon hearing those words, both Buffy and Xander pulled back from one another and looked at each other briefly, frowning, then turned to look about the room.

"Sean?" Buffy ventured "That you?"

"Oh, for the love of Ricky Martin in leather pants, you can see me!" Sean exclaimed "*Finally*, we're getting somewhere. Juan must have been feeling guilty. Good."

"Uh Sean?" Xander said quietly, stepping away from the window and looking about the room. "We *can't* see you"

"But we can hear you loud and clear" Buffy added and looked to where she thought Sean's voice was coming from. "What's happening Sean? Why can't we see you?"

"We think you've gone, what we call, 'In Deep'" Sean replied. "It's hard to explain" he continued "It's like, uh, well it's like, OK imagine that the leaps you usually do are on kind of an outer orbit and all the project has to do is stick it's head through the clouds and there you are living these peoples lives. But sometimes leapers find themselves on an inner orbit. Leaping on is no problem" Sean reassured them, seeing them frown again. "But, you're just a little harder to get to. Sometimes we just get sight and no sound and, well, vice versa."

"But you're not going anywhere now, right?" Buffy asked.

"I hope not" Sean replied. "I've been trying to get your attention since you got here. I think you two know who you are. Maggie and Harry?"

"Grantham" Xander nodded. "Grandfather called Herbert, mother called Elizabeth and a grandmother I haven't seen yet" Xander paused. "And there was… Tom."

"Yeah" Sean said slowly. "That was unfortunate. But Xander" Sean added quickly, seeing Xander's expression. "It was going to happen. Just last time, there was no one that tried to help. It wasn't your fault."

"We weren't here to stop… to stop what happened this morning?" Buffy asked softly, hearing Mrs Grantham's voice outside in the hallway.

"We're not sure why you're here" Sean replied. "Look, I don't think we should do this in the middle of the sitting room, and I can hear that Mrs Grantham is on her way back. We need to go somewhere where we can talk uninterrupted."

"Uh, sure" Xander said. "There's the study. It seemed pretty quiet and out of the way."

"Then let's go" Sean said. "I'll meet you two up there."

"Buff?" Xander whispered softly to Buffy as they headed out of the sitting room and towards the foot of the stairs. 

"What?" she whispered back. 

Xander made brief eye contact with Mrs Grantham who had just disappeared into the dining room. Xander turned back to Buffy as they both stood at the bottom of the stairs and cleared his throat. "Um, I just wanted to say, uh, thanks" Xander gave her a sincere smile. "For what you said just now. I still feel like crap" he admitted, "But there's light at the end of the tunnel now. I-I don't know what I'd do if you weren't-"

"Me too" Buffy cut him off, smiling warmly. "Come on" she said quietly, starting up the stairs, "I don't know where we're going remember?"

Xander let his eyes dart around the house as he followed Buffy. "Y'know, something here is beginning to give me the wiggins" Xander remarked. "I just can't put my finger on it."

"You too huh?" Buffy murmured back.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Xander led Buffy along the hallway that lead to the study. Buffy was careful not to make eye contact with Dr Greenburg as he came out of one of the rooms that led off the landing. And either he hadn't noticed her or had decided not to say anything as 'Harry' was with her.

Sean's disembodied voice greeted them as they both finally entered the study. "You two might want to take a seat" he suggested.

Buffy closed the door and took the only chair, as Xander seemed quite happy to perch himself on the edge of the desk. "Where are you Sean?" she asked, "I want to at least be looking in the right direction when you give us the low down."

"By the dead plant to the right" Sean told her. "OK, first, let me tell you about who you are, " he began "It might clear up any holes you two have. OK, it's January 20th 1984. Maggie's twenty five, she'd never been more than thirty miles away from this house" Sean began reeling off information like a list as he read it from 'Gizmo'. "She's never left alone for more than two hours during the day. There's a family history of mental illness, and imbalance of something in the brain. Maggie and Harry's father, Harry senior, had the same illness; his was less pronounced than Maggie's but he did have more and more psychotic episodes in his later life. He died of a heart attack though a month ago, just before Christmas. Maggie's episodes are controlled now with medicine. Maggie's mother wanted her put into her nursing home, but on condition of Mr Grantham's last will and testament, that's not going to happen" Sean paused for breath "Especially when her big brother is back home to sort out the family finances. Harry is twenty-six and had been living in New York City for five years, until he came back for the funeral and now he has to save the family estate because of some bad investments he'd made. Also-"

"Sean, I hate to interrupt your flow and everything," Buffy cut in "But can you tell me if Maggie *did* hurt her mom last night?"

"She did" Sean replied. "Although it wasn't as bad as Mrs Grantham made out. Maggie's medication makes her a little slower in everything. The family finds her easier to handle that way. Which means" Sean added, "You'll have to try and be a little less lucid. Maggie is not known for her jaunts about the house, let alone her conversation skills. She just keeps out of everyone's way in her room. She likes it like that too."

"Yeah?" Buffy sounded a little dubious. "Well that Doctor Greenburg seemed ready to shoot me full of drugs if I so much as looked at him funny"

"He's a good friend of Mrs Grantham" Sean said. "She doesn't handle Maggie's illness too well, never has done. She'd rather someone else took care of her."

"So she just keeps Maggie drugged up enough so she can have quiet life?" Xander remarked.

"Nice lady" Buffy added. "OK, fine. I can keep out of trouble. So? What's else is there?" she asked, her brows furrowing a little "I mean, have you guys got any idea of what we're here to do?"

"Well, we don't think its anything to do with Maggie." Sean told them, "I'd keep an eye on Herbert though if I were you. He keeps coming up a lot when we run the scenarios."

"Scenarios?" Buffy shot s puzzled look in the dead ferns general direction. "Are you making things up now?"

"Well, some of the things the tech guys come out with some times," Sean replied "Make *me* wonder sometimes. But, no, that particular thing isn't made up." He added. "Usually when we first leap people in, we know exactly what we're doing, our volunteer leapers know exactly what's in their remit. But with you two, because you're here, and under duress it sometimes seems, we have to revert back to the doing a general analysis of the situation and then seeing what pings up when we run certain situations through the computer banks and see which one have the higher percentage rate of actually happening"

"Uh huh" Xander paused "I don't suppose there's like a booklet for all this is there?"

"Yeah" Buffy added "Like Leaping for Dummies." Buffy was glad to see that made Xander crack a little bit of a smile.

"I'll see what I can do" Sean replied dryly.

"So… Herbert, yeah?" Xander said "I guess that shouldn't be too hard a task to keep an eye on him. The old guy seems nice enough."

"Yeah, and it looks like it'll have to be your job" Buffy told him "If I want to keep up appearances, I'll have to keep a bit more to Maggie's room."

"Not necessarily" Xander disagreed. "If they're used to having her hanging around with Harry, then if Buff's with me, they shouldn't suspect anything, should they?"

"Maybe Buffy could take a look around the house" Sean suggested.

"Or maybe Buffy can decide what *she* wants to do" Buffy remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"So what do you want to do?" Xander asked her. "I was going to head downstairs. Let Herbert see I'm OK. Sort of" he added with a sad smile.

"If that's what you want to do" Buffy smiled back warmly. "I guess I can take up Sean's idea. I might find something, you never know."

Xander nodded. "Sounds good. Look, why don't I meet back with you in a couple of hours?" he suggested. "Compare notes or something."

"Sure. We can meet back in Maggie's room" Buffy replied. "It's the middle hall way off the top of the stairs; the door right at the end." She sighed, her concerned gaze meeting his. "You'll be OK?"

"I'll manage" Xander replied. "I can mosey off now, before they get too suspicious as to what we're talking about up here."

"Good luck" Buffy wished him as Xander headed out. "Don't let Mrs Grantham bite."

Buffy smiled to herself when she heard Xander chuckle out on the hallway. Buffy took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly as she looked about the room.

"I'm still by the dead plant, Buffy."

"I wasn't looking for you, idiot." Buffy sighed again. "Any chance you could help by telling me what I'm supposed to be looking for?"

"You're the one who wanted to play detective" Sean pointed out. "I don't know. Uh, those papers on the desk are what Harry was looking at last night right before Xander leapt into him and I've just realised why you don't want to go with Xander, it's so you don't have to talk to him about you two swapping saliva"

Buffy's mouth opened and closed a few times before she got sound to come out. "We did *not* *swap* saliva" she protested. "Th-there was *no* *swapping* of-of bodily fluids of *any* kind" Buffy paused. "And we do not have 'sparks enough to light up L.A.'"

"What am I suddenly blind?" Sean scoffed. "Please. And if you heard that, what about an 'I'm sorry about Juan', huh?"

"I'm sorry about Juan" Buffy said, somewhat half-heartedly as she sat back down in the chair behind the desk. "OK," she started looking over the papers "So what exactly have we got here?"

"I see we have an avoidance specialist" Sean observed. "And those are just house deeds and bank statements. I don't think Herbert had anything to do with them. Harry senior was in charge of the finances."

Buffy sighed and pushed herself back from the desk, sinking back into the leather chair. "So what now?"

"You could check in on grandma" Sean suggested.

"Why the hell not?" Buffy said softly. She got up and headed towards the door. "Which room is she in?"

"First on the left at the top of the stairs" Sean told her, following her out into the hallway. "Want my disembodied voice to keep you company?"

"I think I've got it Sean" Buffy replied. "You go keep an eye on Xander."

"Fine." Sean said, "I'll be off. Give us a yell or whatever if you need me."

Buffy heard the faint sound of 'Gizmo' bleeping, signalling Sean's departure as she rounded the end of the hallway. She crossed the landing, ready to make an entrance into Maggie's grandmother's room, when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Buffy frowned a little when she heard a slight noise accompany the small moving shadow at the end of the hallway that led from where she stood. Buffy let go of the door handle she held and began to make her way along the narrow hallway, squinting a little in the dim light.

She heard a floorboard creak and then the sound of someone humming. "Oo-kay" she whispered to herself "What have we got here?"

Suddenly Buffy was surrounded in more light as a door near to the end of the hallway opened. And Buffy though she could make out someone standing in the small gap in the now open doorway. 

"Hello?" Buffy took a step forward. 

And then she saw a young woman, about the same height as Xander, with long reddish hair and piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in black, slightly flared trousers and a black, gypsy blouse with billowy sleeves. 

"Uh, hi?" Buffy said again, taking steps closer to the woman who just stood there looking at her, a strange smile on her lips and Buffy began to feel a little on edge by the way the woman's eyes seem to bore into her.

But the woman didn't say anything and with one last look at Buffy, she disappeared into the room, abruptly shutting the door behind her.

A determined look settled on Buffy's face. //Oh no you don't missy//. Buffy stood infront of the door and rapped her knuckles loudly on the wood. "I know you're in there," Buffy said softly in a singsong voice. 

Buffy waited a while, knocking again on the door, but still no one came to answer it. Buffy took hold of the handle and turned it, a little surprised that it opened easily. But once inside, her surprise grew even more.

The room was empty save for a couple of pieces of dust covered furniture in the middle of the floor. No windows were open and there was no other door.

And there was no one in the room except for Buffy.

"What the hell is going on here?" Buffy stepped back out into the hallway and looked back down from where she had come from. There was no one there either. Buffy stood in the doorway, looking with confusion into the hallway and then into the room again. "I *saw* her" she muttered to herself. "She can't have just disappeared…."

Buffy shook her head and then pinched the bridge of her nose, closing eyes. She waited a moment and then looked again. 

Still there was no one.

"Who am I kidding?" Buffy murmured, heading back to the grandmother's room. "Of course she could have disappeared" Buffy sighed. "I kill vampires for a living. This really shouldn't surprise me and I'm going to have to stop talking to myself or I'm gonna get myself shot full of sedative."

"But you talk to yourself all the time Maggie"

The booming voice of Dr Greenburg caught Buffy off guard as he appeared from around the corner. Buffy stopped in her tracks and stared up at the large man standing in front of her and couldn't stop herself from swallowing nervously.

"Well, y'know, I'm crazy" Buffy started to step around him. "I'm just going back, to, uh, to my room." She cleared her throat. "I like it. It's pretty there."

Dr Greenburg caught hold of her shoulder in a strong grip. Buffy looked down at his hand and then up at him. "I can get there by myself," she said, trying to look and sound innocent.

"Your mother's been very worried about you" Dr Greenburg said, his hand still on Buffy's shoulder. "And who can blame her when you're talking about ghosts, Maggie?"

//Oh boy//. "Can't I just go to my room?" Buffy tried to keep her voice even. "No more talk about ghosts. I promise."

"Your mother told me you attacked her the other night. She wanted me to come straight away, to see if I could up your medication, but I couldn't get here until this morning." He smiled thinly at Buffy. "And after the dreadful thing that happened this morning…" he trailed off, moving his iron grip from Buffy's shoulder to her arm. "Not too mention the ghosts, I think I can oblige your mother."

"Hey, *ow*!" Buffy exclaimed as Dr Greenburg pulled her roughly with him as he started to move. "What the hell do you think you're doing! Let go of me!"

"It's better if you don't struggle" Dr Greenburg commanded as Buffy tried to prise herself out of his strong grip, "My bag is just over here and I've got something that'll make you feel so much better"

"You're not giving me anything!" Buffy said, trying to kick out at the doctor as he got to his bag that sat on a small table by the top of the stairs. "I'm not sick!"

Dr Greenburg pulled Buffy roughly around to face him "Listen Margaret," he said in a cold voice "I'm the doctor here. I'll decide who's sick."

Buffy's darted to the syringe that he held that seemed already full of some clear substance. "Uh huh" Buffy's looked straight into the doctors eyes "Looks like somebody already came prepared"

"Shame he's not going to get to use it."

Dr Greenburg whirled around and glared daggers at Xander who stood a couple of steps down from the top of the stairs. "Your sister is a very sick woman" the doctor said, his grip still firm on Buffy's arm and the syringe still in his other hand. "She's needs this to make her better."

"Really?" Xander went up one step. "Because she looks fine to me."

"And I suppose because you think you're here to stop the bank taking away this house, that that makes you in charge?" Dr Greenburg replied shaking his head. "Where were you when your mother was having the most trouble with this girl? Too busy with your own life in the big city to make a phone call, that's what."

"Can I just say that's not really the issue here?" Buffy pointed out.

"Let her go" Xander was now in front of the doctor, but he was in no way at eye level with the larger man. Xander raised his gaze and glared stonily at the other man, putting his hand over the doctor's trying to get him to let go of Buffy.

But Dr Greenburg didn't budge. He glared back at Xander. "She's having her shot."

"She is not" Xander tried again to move the doctor's arm, manoeuvring himself so Buffy stood a little behind him. "Me and Maggie are going back to her room."

Dr Greenburg simply pushed Xander's hand away. "Sorry, but you're not." He began to move away with Buffy, who was still struggling. Xander tried again, but Dr Greenburg just stopped and pushed him away. Hard.

Xander staggered back, and his foot slipped on the rug at the top of the stairs. Buffy watched on wide-eyed, as the hand that Xander reached to the banister to steady himself, missed.

Xander cried out as he fell backwards, his back crashing painfully on to the steps below before the momentum began to carry him the rest of the way down the staircase.

"No!" Buffy finally managed to wrench herself away from Dr Greenburg's grasp. She'd gone down two steps before Xander hit the bottom, his head slamming hard onto the wooden floor below. "OhGodohGodohGodohGod" Buffy started down the stairs again.

Reaching the bottom, she immediately fell to her knees by Xander's side. He was laying with his eyes closed, one leg bent underneath him at an awkward angle and one arm that looked completely out of joint.

"Xan?" Buffy put her hand to his forehead and his eyelids fluttered open the briefest amount. "Xan?" Buffy tried hard to keep the emotion out of her voice when she saw the small pool of blood beginning to form on the floor, coming from underneath his head.

"Buff" Xander's voice was barely audible and his eyes closed again.

"Sshh" Buffy put her hand to his cheek. "Sshhh, It's OK. I'm here," Buffy felt a tear roll down her cheek "I'm here". She looked back up the stairs to where Dr Greenburg was staring back down at her. "What are you doing?!" she cried "Get down here and help him!"

Buffy turned back to Xander. "Xan, come on" she urged, choking back a sob as she heard his breathing becoming slower. "Don't you leave me here."

Suddenly Buffy found herself being hoisted up and away from Xander. "No!" she cried, turning her head to see it was Dr Greenburg. "He needs me!" Buffy struggled out of his hold, and tried to get to Xander again, but the doctor pushed her to the side and Buffy fell back on her butt near the wall.

"Oh my God!" Mrs Grantham exclaimed, suddenly arriving on the scene "What's happened?"

"He's stopped breathing" Dr Greenburg touched his fingers to Xander's throat. "I'm not getting a pulse." He put his ear to Xander's chest. "There's nothing here."

"Then try CPR!" Buffy cried, tears streaming down her face. She got up and rushed to Xander's side, "I'll do it, just please don't let him die" Buffy sobbed "Please don't let him die."

Dr Greenburg grabbed hold of Buffy's arm and dragged her back away from Xander again. "You did this!" he claimed "This is all your fault!"

"No!" Buffy tried to get back to Xander. "You have to keep trying!"

"You killed him" Mrs Grantham whispered softly as she knelt by Xander's side. She looked up at Buffy "Look what you did"

Buffy stared back at Xander's face, and the pool of blood that was spreading fast from underneath his head. "He's not dead," she said softly. "He can't be. I'd know… I'd know…"

Then Buffy suddenly felt a prick in her arm. She blinked slowly and then looked down at her arm and saw Dr Greenburg withdrawing a syringe from her flesh. Buffy looked back up at him "What did you…" Buffy trailed off when she suddenly felt whatever the doctor had injected her with kick in. 

As she started to feel limp, Buffy tried to focus back on Xander. "Xan?" she said, her voice feeling thick in her throat as blackness started to descend around her. "Xan answer me…" was the last thing Buffy managed to get out before she slumped to the floor by Xander's feet.

-------------------

There was a slight whistle in the air as a cold January breeze started to pick up pace as it blustered around the grounds of the Grantham house. A few skeletal leaves got caught up with it and danced in the air as if on invisible strings for a few moments before they finally fell back to the frost covered ground.

The breeze continued onwards and upwards, blowing through the bare branches of the deciduous trees and then getting caught up a little in the more fuller and greener limbs of the tall fir trees that stood closer to the house before eventually making it's way through and on towards the house itself, making it's presence known as it whipped against the window panes and sought entrance at those windows that dared to be even the slightest way open.

A small gust of wind found it's way under the gap in one of the sash windows belonging to a bedroom on the first floor of the house, escaping the greyness outside, only to find that it was no better inside. Slowly losing it's momentum the breeze flustered around, it's dying breath to be whispering against the forehead of the figure lying on the bed.

Xander stirred as the wind ruffled his hair and he sleepily raised his hand to brush his hair from his eyes before turning his head and burying it into the pillow as what few shards of sunlight there were fell across his eyelids. 

Then Xander frowned into the pillow, his eyes still shut, as an odd feeling began to seep into his brain. Groggily, he pushed himself up onto his elbows and opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them with the heel of his palm before he yawned and turned his head to look out of the window.

Staring out at the nondescript grey morning, the wind rattling the windows in their frames, Xander was beginning to get the distinct impression that something was very wrong. Still frowning, Xander sat up and then looked down at himself before turning his gaze about the room.

"Why do I feel like I've done this all before?" he whispered softly. Xander looked down at himself again. "I could've sworn I changed clothes... but-" Xander broke off and looked once again around the room "I only got here last night… didn't I?"

Xander swept a hand through his hair and scratched absently at the back of his head for a moment before he stopped. He took his hand from his head and held it infront of his face then waved it from side to side.

"Why do I get the feeling…" he trailed off, putting his hand to the back of his head and tentatively prodded the back of his skull. "OK, now I'm imagining things" he muttered, dropping his hand. "I've just had a bad dream, that's all" he paused "I hope."

Xander got up and put on some shoes and walked over to the wardrobe. He grabbed a dark blue shirt off the rail and started to change into it. Xander stepped over to the window and looked out as he buttoned his shirt.

"This déjà vu is giving me serious wiggins" he sighed. 

He was about to step away from the window when a movement below caught his eye. Xander pressed his face up to the glass and saw the back view of a tall woman walking along the path that ran by the house. She had long, waist length ruby red hair and she wore a long black skirt and a black, billowy blouse.

"I wonder if that's… no, wait… that's *not* Maggie…" Xander trailed off, frowning that he somehow knew that. "Buffy's Maggie."

Xander's thought digging slowed for a moment when the red haired woman stopped in her tracks and turned around. Xander blinked as she stared up at him. Not just in his general direction, but right into his eyes.

Xander's breath caught in his throat and he took a step back from the window. He hesitated for a moment before moving forward again. This time when he looked out of the window, he saw no one.

Xander scanned the area in his view outside but saw no trace of the woman, not even a flash of red hair amongst the trees or a scrap of black material disappearing around a corner of the house.

"Fantastic" Xander stated without any trace of enthusiasm. "I'm imagining beautiful women and I've got the feeling I'm missing a chunk of my memory." He sighed and headed towards the door "What more is this day going to bring?"

Xander walked cautiously along the narrow hallway that led from his room, trying to discern whether there was anything else that would cause another ripple of déjà vu to coarse through his body.

There was nothing until he reached the large landing at the top of the staircase and it wasn't so much as a ripple that went through as a shockwave.

Xander sucked in a sharp breath and his hand clutched at his chest as he staggered backwards away from the stairs. He kept going back until he felt a wall behind him and he placed one hand palm flat against the cold surface as if making sure it was actually there.

As he stared at the top of the staircase, Xander's breath came in ragged gasps. "No… this can't be…" he managed to get out, shaking his head, his hand still clutching at his chest. "It can't…"

An assault of images flashed infront of Xander's eyes. Him coming out from the sitting room talking to an old man and seeing Buffy being hassled by another man at the top of the stairs; him looking up into the man's face as he tried to get Buffy away; him struggling in vain as he was overpowered by Buffy's aggressor; him being pushed and staggering backwards towards the top of the stairs; the shooting pain along his back as he crashed down onto the steps; looking back into Buffy's shocked face just before he fell the rest of the way down, pain shooting through is body at every jolt against his limbs and skull; the loud crack his head made as his skull came into contact with the floor and the wet, sticky feel of something trickling down the back of his neck and the numbness he felt from the waist downwards; hearing Buffy cry out and then looking up into her face when she whispered soothingly to him that everything was going to be OK; remembering that the last thing he saw before darkness over took him was Buffy's tear streaked face and the broken look in her eyes.

Xander closed his eyes and slid slowly down the wall, his legs coming out infront of him. His breathing was still ragged and he tried to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. Xander opened his eyes, trying not to look at the staircase, but he couldn't seem to draw his gaze away.

"This isn't ha-happening…" Xander whispered shakily. "I'm not dead… I'm not…"

Xander took a couple of deep breaths and then ran a hand nervously through his hair, his gaze still centred on the stairs, the images still flashing through his head. "This is just a bad dream" he murmured to himself "None of this is real… it's not real…"

Xander used the wall as a prop to get to his feet. He stood leaning against it for a little while, glancing around at everything else around him. "…I just seem to have really real looking dreams, that's all" Xander tentatively took a step forward. "Just a dream" he repeated "I'm gonna wake up. I didn't fall down those stairs… I didn't see Buffy crying…"

But even as he said those things to himself and as he looked down the staircase, Xander knew that he was just lying to himself. The tiny pinpricks of fear kept darting up and down his spine. 

Xander gripped the handrail tightly as he stood right at the very top of the stairs. "What's happening?" he whispered, tentatively taking one step down and then another. Xander swallowed hard and looked down at the floor at the bottom of stairs. Nothing look disturbed from what Xander could remember from before, everything looked exactly the same - the red rug at the bottom of the stairs; the matching tables either side of the front door, one with flowers and the other with a lamp; the family pictures hanging on the wood panelled walls. 

And not a soul around.

Xander took another deep breath and continued slowly and hesitantly down the stairs, his hand never leaving the handrail until he reached the bottom step. Xander stood looking down at the floor where he'd lain, battered, bruised and bleeding.

He felt sick. Actually, physically sick. Xander held his hand to his stomach and sat down on the stairs. He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth gently. //Why is this happening? Why is this happening to *me*?//. Xander put his other hand to his mouth to stifle a sob as he remembered the look on Buffy's face; the feel of one of her tears as it splashed onto his cheek.

He had to find her. If she was still here. He had to let her know that he was OK. Xander turned around and looked up the stairs. But where was she? He couldn't remember if Buffy had even said where Maggie's room was. Then something clicked in Xander's head; he'd been outside when he first found her before. He knew which window would be Maggie's if he looked from outside.

Xander stood up and took a deep breath before crossing the floor and heading towards the front door. He tried the handle, but found that it was locked. Xander frowned and tried the latch but he couldn't find the mechanism to release the lock. Xander tried the drawers of the tables by the door, looking for a key, but found nothing.

"Crap" he muttered as he turned and went towards the dining room instead, knowing that there was an exit from the kitchen. He went through the door in the corner of the dining room and along the small passageway that led to the kitchen.

But when he stepped through into the kitchen, Xander's heart stopped.

Xander's breath got caught in his throat as he stared at the other person in the kitchen.

Standing at the far end of the kitchen, searching through a lower cupboard and humming to himself, was Tom.

Suddenly though, Tom realised that he was no longer alone and he stood and turned to look back at Xander. He looked exactly the same as when Xander had first seen him; the same clothes - blue jeans and black t-shirt and big work boots still with the laces untied, the same nervous movements as he peered out from underneath his mane of sandy coloured hair.

"M-mister Grantham?" the young boy stuttered "I-I didn't expect-" the young boy shook the hair out of his face "Anyone to be up this early. Even your grandfather doesn't…" he trailed off "Um, did you want me for anything?" The teenager shifted awkwardly "'Cause your mom, I mean Mrs Grantham said I sh-should just get whatever you wanted"

And he spoke the exact same words. Xander simply stared back at him, finally managing to get the breath out, but unable to think of anything to say.

Tom was real. He was standing in front of him as large as life. Tom wasn't gripping onto Xander's hand because his life might just depend on it, he wasn't lying on the ground, his neck bent at an unnatural angle and no blood trickled from his lips.

"Are you OK?" Tom scratched at him arm as he looked at Xander with concern. "You look sick."

"I'm feeling a-a little queasy, yeah" Xander replied, running a hand through his hair. His gaze darted about the room, hoping to find something that wouldn't strike so much familiarity and consternation into him. 

"Did you want me to get you something?" Tom asked, "Or I can get your mom-"

"No, no" Xander interrupted Tom gently "It's OK, it's just…" Xander trailed off and exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "I had a bad dream which pretty much turned into a nightmare."

"I hate those too" Tom offered him a smile "The one's where you wake up sweating and your heart thumping?"

Xander nodded and smiled ruefully "One of those" He sighed "Don't s'pose you know a way to stop them?"

Tom shrugged "Not really. I try thinking of pretty girls when I fall asleep. Sometimes that works" he added with a sheepish smile. "Anyway, I have to get going. Your mom wanted me to try and finish what I started yesterday, I had to leave the waterproof sheeting up 'cos it started raining, but I should get the roof done with-"

"No!"

Tom looked alarmed at Xander's outburst. "B-but your mom said-"

"I don't care" Xander said firmly "I don't want you going up there"

"B-but-"

"No buts" Xander gestured to the window "Have you seen that weather out there? That wind'll pick up and if you're up on that roof…" Xander trailed off, looking earnestly at Tom "It's not safe"

Tom blinked. He looked out of the window and then back to Xander "Well, i-if you say so…" he trailed off then shrugged "Although I could check up in the attic, the sheeting might need securing…" he trailed off again seeing Xander's firm look. "I-I guess I could clear out the old coach house instead." Tom began gathering up what he'd taken from the cupboards "I'll um, get going then… leave you to um," Tom glanced around the kitchen "Whatever you were uh…" he cleared his throat "I'll just…" Tom mumbled something under his breath as he grabbed a waterproof coat off the hook on the back door and then headed outside.

Xander realised that his head was very nearly on the point of implosion. He'd just had a conversation with a guy who'd he'd seen lying dead not more than, well what seemed to him, a few hours previously. And this was on top of Xander realising that he himself should be lying in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs.

Xander rubbed at the vein he could feel throbbing at his temple as he walked a little more into the kitchen and leant back against one of the counters. Xander closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"This is un-fucking-believable." Xander groaned softly and covered his face with his hands before pushing them back over the top of his head, keeping them clasped at the base of his neck.

Then Xander heard soft footsteps on the stone floor. He opened his eyes to see Buffy staring at him, her eyes wide and her face was drained of all colour.

"Buffy," Xander stood up straight and dropped his arms, his voice barely above a whisper.

Buffy clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. She stared back at the man standing infront of her, the man who looked so much like Xander, sounded so much like Xander, yet couldn't be. Couldn't be because when she'd woken she'd known, she'd known he was dead. The memories were so real, so vivid; she'd had his blood on her fingertips.

"X-xan?" her voice was strained as she tried to hold back the sobs "Oh God" Buffy hugged her arms around herself "Oh God."

"Buff, it's OK" Xander stepped towards her "It's OK"

Buffy started shaking her head and she stepped back "What's happening?" she sniffled, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I woke up a-and everything was strange. I-it was like before, but-but it wasn't" this time Buffy didn't hold back her sob "It wasn't 'cos I re-remembered" she stared back up at him as Xander took a step closer "I saw you… you lying there and-and there was a-all this bl-blood a-and…" Buffy trailed off as she allowed herself to be pulled into Xander's arms. She clutched gently at his shirt by his shoulders and buried her face into his chest.

"Shush" Xander gently cupped the back of Buffy's head "I know, OK? I know."

"You smell real" Buffy murmured into his chest. Buffy looked up at him, she let go of his shirt and raised one hand to touch his cheek with the tips of her fingers "You feel real"

Xander smiled warmly back down at her "I am real" he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear "But I don't know what's happening" he exhaled slowly "You wouldn't believe who I just-"

Xander was cut off when Buffy pressed her mouth to his own. She slipped a hand around the back of his neck as she gently massaged her lips against his. Xander closed his eyes as he felt Buffy's tongue flick out against his lower lip. He kept one hand cupping her head while his other hand settled on her waist as he kissed her back, his own tongue darting out and mirroring Buffy's as they began to deepen the kiss.

Buffy was the first to pull back, her lips just barely an inch from Xander's. She was slightly breathless as she gazed up at him through her lashes. "You taste real."

Xander felt his heart beating hard in his chest as he gazed back down at her. //What the hell am I thinking about getting myself into?//. Xander took his hand from behind her head and cupped her cheek, wiping away a stray tear from her face with his thumb. "It's all real" he murmured back before brushing his lips softly against Buffy's.

Buffy responded, kissing him back, her other hand holding tightly onto his arm. Buffy closed her eyes as the kiss became more insistent, more passionate. She didn't care what the repercussions were. As she relaxed into Xander's embrace, all that mattered was right now. And right now she needed Xander; to feel him underneath her fingers, against her body and to feel his lips against hers.

But it couldn't last forever. They both broke away from each other, breathless. Buffy swept both her hands through Xander's hair before resting them on his shoulders whilst Xander let both his hands settle on Buffy's waist.

"Xand…" she rested her forehead against his chin and Xander began to stroke her hair. Buffy closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts. She sighed softly "I really hate it when I think you're dead."

"Well I think we just established that I'm not" Xander smiled back down at Buffy when she lifted her head to look up at him. "I guess now we just have to try and figure out why not" he paused "And why Tom isn't either."

Buffy's eyes widened "What?"

Xander placed his hands over Buffy's and lifted them off his shoulder and brought them down to their sides. "I just had a conversation with him" Xander replied "It was exactly the same as before" Xander closed his eyes for a moment then opened them, looking back at Buffy "It was *Tom* and he was *alive*"

"Oh my God" Buffy let go of Xander's hands and ran her hands through her hair "We need Sean."

"Who would have been here by now if he could…?" Xander trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

Realisation dawned. "He would have, wouldn't he?" Buffy replied. She sighed "Oh this is all screwy." Buffy sighed again "We just lost God knows how many hours, defied the laws of death and-and appear to have started the *completely* day over again. There's creepy red-haired women-"

"You saw her too?"

"You mean you… long red hair, all in black-"

"Stared right through you?"

Buffy nodded "I wasn't imagining it" she whispered "I saw her last night. She just disappeared on me. Right into thin air."

"Same here" Xander replied "Are we thinking ghosts?" he shrugged "It could be tied in with all this craziness."

"Craziness like us making out?"

Xander looked warmly back at Buffy "That wasn't crazy"

Buffy gazed back into his eyes "Then what was it?"

"I don't know" Xander replied honestly. Xander was about to add something else when he heard voices coming from the other side of the kitchen door.

"We should head somewhere less public" Buffy suggested, then catching Xander's eye she added quickly "To talk."

"I know" Xander gave her a reassuring smile "Come on, we can use the study"

Buffy followed him out of the kitchen and out into a narrow hallway that then led into the main foyer. Xander slowed when he came near the foot of the stairs and Buffy put her hand on his arm. 

Xander turned to her and smiled gratefully. "It's just feels weird"

"I know" Buffy smiled back and kept hold his arm as they made their way up the staircase. 

When they reached the top, Buffy was about to head off towards the study when Xander stopped "Y'know I'm just gonna grab a sweater or something from Harry's room" he said "I don't know if it's just me and having just walked over my grave, but It's real cold in here"

"I think it's the wind picking up" Buffy replied, beginning to realise that she didn't remember it being it as strong yesterday "Pick up one for me too"

"Sure" Xander gave her a quick smile and headed off.

Buffy stared after him for a moment before she took the hallway towards the study. She shivered slightly as she neared the door and frowned when she touched the handle and found that it was almost freezing.

Buffy pushed open the door and stepped inside. She blinked slowly at what she saw.

Behind the desk, seated in the chair with her feet kicked up onto the desk and her hands behind her head, was the mysterious woman in black.

Buffy tried not to wilt under the woman's piercing gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here."

The woman didn't say anything; she just kept staring at Buffy.

Buffy stared back at her for a moment more before she turned to leave, only to see the door slam shut infront of her. Buffy stood looking at the wood panels of the door for a moment before she turned back to the woman behind the desk who now sat with her hands clasped together in her lap.

"Ookaay" Buffy said slowly "So, you're a ghost. Gotta say though, I've seen scarier."

"I'm not a ghost" the woman replied, sounding amused.

Buffy raised one eyebrow "Really? Then who? I know you don't live here."

The woman raised her own eyebrow in response "Neither do you Miss Summers"

=====

What's going on? Find out in the next episode **_"Dance with the Devil - Part Two"_**


	9. Dance with the Devil - Part Two

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The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Nine: "Dance with the Devil - Part Two"

Summary: Xander and Buffy find themselves at the mercy of a stranger who wants something from them both.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG15 (Language)  
**Spoilers:** 'The Pack', 'Becoming P2', 'Into the Woods'   
**Author's Notes: 1.** Set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

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Buffy shivered slightly as she neared the study door and frowned when she touched the handle and found that it was almost freezing.

Buffy pushed open the door and stepped inside. She blinked slowly at what she saw.

Behind the desk, seated in the chair with her feet kicked up onto the desk and her hands behind her head, was the mysterious woman in black.

"I'm sorry," Buffy tried not to wilt under the woman's piercing gaze "I didn't know anyone was in here."

The woman didn't say anything; she just kept staring at Buffy.

Buffy stared back at her for a moment more before she turned to leave, only to see the door slam shut infront of her. Buffy stood looking at the wood panels of the door for a moment before she turned back to the woman behind the desk who now sat with her hands clasped together in her lap.

"Ookaay" Buffy said slowly "So, you're a ghost. Gotta say though, I've seen scarier."

"I'm not a ghost" the woman replied, sounding amused.

Buffy raised one eyebrow "Really? Then who? I know you don't live here."

The woman raised her own eyebrow in response "Neither do you Miss Summers"

Buffy blinked and felt her jaw go a little slack. Had she heard this woman right? "I-I'm sorry?"

The woman in black rolled her eyes "I said you didn't live here Miss Summers oh what's the damn point" there was an exasperated sigh "I go to all this trouble to make everything all mysterious and what do you do? You stand there and do goldfish impressions, which, granted, is sorta the reaction I was hoping for, but you could've at least fainted"

Buffy blinked "You called me by my name."

"Oh you heard that the first two times I said it did you?" the woman's voice was laced with sarcasm "At least that's something good"

Buffy snapped out of her shock "Hey! I asked you a question." Buffy shot back, the woman's attitude putting her on the defensive "Who the hell are you?"

The woman smirked "Ooh a fiery one. You'll be fun."

Buffy glared back at her "Just tell me who the hell you are"

"Not yet."

"What?" Buffy crossed her arms over her chest "Forgotten have you?"

The woman pulled a face "Ha. No, FYI I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"For him" the woman pointed to the door.

"Hey Buff, I hope-" Xander stopped in the doorway. He blinked when he saw the redheaded woman smiling serenely at him then he looked to Buffy. "What the hell-"

"Just what I'm trying to figure out" Buffy interrupted him. She took the pullover he had in his hand "Thanks" she gave him a brief smile.

"Uh, no probs" Xander replied a little distracted, looking back to the woman behind the desk.

"She knows who we are" Buffy words were muffled as she slipped the pullover over her head, as it was still cold in the room. "Who we *really* are" she added once able to see again. "Came out with names and everything." Buffy then shot a look at the other woman "Apart from hers though it would seem"

"It's Bob" the redhead replied with a smile "Short for Kate" she added, seeing the odd looks she got.

"I'd have thought you more Queenie with that hair" Xander replied.

"Ooh points for pop culture to you cutie." Kate grinned "But, really. It is Kate."

"Yeah?" Buffy looked at the other woman dubiously "I was expecting something more mysterious. But funnily enough" she continued "I don't care." Buffy turned to Xander "Come on. Let's get out of here. If she wants to do the weird gig then she can do it by herself."

"Suits me" Xander agreed. He shot a quick look at Kate before he turned to follow Buffy to the door. The door that he realised was now closed, and he didn't remember actually doing that.

Xander felt an odd feeling wash over him as Buffy's hand reached for the handle and the moment she started to pull the door open towards her, Xander realised why.

Beyond the door there was nothing. Literally. Black space occupied what had been the narrow, dimly lit hallway that led from the study towards the landing at the top of the stairs. She reached her hand out, but she snatched it back when her fingers hit an invisible shield separating her from the blackness, a pale blue light shimmered out in tiny waves from the point where her hand had touched it.

Xander spun back around to face Kate. "What the hell is this?" he demanded "What have you done?"

"I've borrowed you both for a little while" Kate replied. "Don't worry. It won't be for long."

"You've borrowed us?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Can I just say, 'How in the Hell?'"

Xander raised his hand "And I'd like to say 'Why?'" then Xander narrowed his eyes at Kate "Y'know, why do I get the suspicious feeling that you might have had something to do with the hell I experienced this morning?"

Kate pretended to look confused "You mean kissing Buffy? And *wow*, that's some death ray glare you've got blondie" Kate sniggered "Almost rivals-"

"*Hey*" Xander cut Kate off and closed the distance between them quickly, placing his hands on the desk and leaning forward. "How 'bout you just cut the crap and tell us what the hell is going on?" he said, glaring stonily at her "And what *you* have to do with it?"

Kate swivelled around in her chair to face Xander full on before mirroring his position on her side of the desk so she was almost nose to nose with him. "I have everything to do with it" Kate replied, her voice eerily devoid of any emotion and her piercing gaze never wavered from Xander's face as darted forward and brushed her lips up against his.

And then Xander disappeared.

"Xander!" Buffy exclaimed, staring at the space in which he'd just been standing. She stared wide-eyed at Kate "What the hell! Bring him back!"

Kate shrugged "What makes you think I can?"

"Because you just made him go!" Buffy shot back.

"OK, you're right. I can." Kate replied "But I'm not gonna. Not just yet anyway"

"If anything happens to him in wherever you just sent him, I'll make your life a living hell."

"Oh, keep your panties on girl, he's fine" Kate flopped back down into the chair.

"Fine? Have you got any idea of what he's been through today?" Buffy shot back "And now you disappear him off somewhere?!"

"He hasn't been through anything" Kate told her. "Not really. Xander was right."

"Right? Right about what?"

"That it was a really real dream" Kate replied.

Her words threw Buffy. "A-are you saying that-that none of what…" Buffy tried to take it in "He didn't…?"

"Die?" Kate shook her head "No. No he didn't die. Just one of my many illusions."

"An illusion? W-what…" Buffy ran a hand through her hair "Why the hell would you do that?" Buffy said quietly, danger lurking around the edges of her voice. //Not too mention *how* the hell she could have done it//, but Buffy let that question lie for the moment. 

Instead, she shot a steely look at Kate "So you made us dream all that stuff?" Buffy stepped up close to the desk "You made us both think that Xander had died? All that happened with Tom, all that wasn't real?"

"Yes." Kate replied simply.

"Why?"

"Two reasons. One, so you'd be able to leap out of here as soon as I'm done with you and two," she paused briefly "So I'd know if what I had in mind was actually worth following through."

Buffy folded her arms across her chest and stared back at the other woman "I still don't understand" she said "It was all so real… so *vivid*"

"If it weren't" Kate replied "You wouldn't have believed it. I needed you to be able to save Tom. He was the reason you were here."

"So why are *you* here?" Buffy asked. "Are you another leaper like us?"

"No." Kate shook her head. "Like I told you, I've just borrowed you two for a little while."

"We are *people*" Buffy stated angrily "You can't *do* that…" Buffy trailed off, feeling worn out. "This is *stupid*. I am not playing your damn mind games" Buffy shot a frosty look at Kate "You come waltzing into my leap, *our* leap, acting like you're the queen of the damn world, thinking you know everything-"

"Not everything, that's why-"

"Shut up!" Buffy slammed her hands down on the desk "You put my back up the moment I set eyes on you and who the hell can blame me? I'll say it again, I am *not* doing this. I want out. I want Xander out of wherever you've sent him and then we are leaping the hell out of here."

"No."

"How 'bout I drag you out from behind that desk you seem to be so happy to sit behind and beat the crap out of you 'till you do then?"

Kate got up and leant over the desk towards Buffy. "Y'know if you just shut up for just one sec-"

Buffy reached out quickly and grabbed hold of the front of Kate's shirt and hauled the other woman as close to her as she could. "I never wanted any of this" Buffy hissed "I never wanted to be involved in this damn freaky project, QL2 or whatever." Buffy pushed Kate back away from her. "All I was doing was walking home. Walking home from something I really *wish* I was doing right now instead of *this*"

"Actually you were walking Xander home" Kate pointed out, straightening out her blouse. "Back to his girlfriend's if I remember correctly."

"Bring him back."

"Not yet."

Buffy went to grab for Kate again but Kate pushed herself back in the chair and out of Buffy's way. Kate tossed her long hair back over her shoulder and matched Buffy's glare. "Violence isn't going to solve this blondie" Kate said evenly "Now are you going to listen to me or not?"

"Fine" Buffy said tersely "It's not like I can go anywhere is it?"

"True" Kate smiled wryly "Buffy, I'm here to help you make a decision. Actually to help both you *and* Xander make a decision. But most of it depends on you."

"A decision?" Buffy eyes the other woman dubiously "That's it?"

Kate nodded. "And once you've made it, you can go onto your next leap."

"Fine" Buffy narrowed her eyes at the other woman "I'll play."

"Good" Kate snapped her fingers and suddenly the study disappeared.

-------------------

Xander flinched back the moment Kate's lips touched his only to find that she suddenly vanished from infront of him and he found himself somewhere else entirely.

Xander drew in a sharp breath when he caught his first glimpse of his new surroundings. The study had changed into a large, grand drawing room, although the only pieces of furniture in the room were two plushly upholstered wing-backed armchairs and the mahogany end table that sat between them - all in the centre of the room. A grand fireplace was on the left wall and huge oil paintings of countryside scenes and important looking people hung on the tastefully decorated walls…

… walls that moved. Along with the floor. Each of the four walls and the floor appeared to be segmented into quadrangles of varying shapes and sizes which then moved slowly, overlapping the one next to it, but never really distorting the image of the entire area, each quadrangle somehow merging into the one it replaces. Sometimes one would disappear for a moment, giving Xander a glimpse of what was beyond the wall. 

Beyond the wall lay blackness like the night sky, complete with stars that sparkled back down. 

Stars that Xander realised he could see even better as he looked up to discover there was no ceiling.

And he was all alone.

Xander sighed. "Figures."

-------------------

"Ahh" Kate sighed "This is much better."

Buffy stared at her surroundings in astonishment. "How in the…?" she turned to face Kate who sat only a foot away from where Buffy was seated herself "What are you? Some kind of freaky, weird ass travel agent?"

Buffy now sat, as did Kate, on sun loungers underneath a large parasol in the middle of a deserted beach. The sky was cloudless and a midday sun beat down on them. White sand stretched out around them and down towards the clear blue water that continuously rippled quietly onto the beach and then out again. Buffy looked over her shoulder to see the palm trees standing proud not that far behind them and in a small clearing, Buffy could just make out a small beach hut.

Buffy looked down at herself to find she was no longer wearing Maggie's clothes, instead she found herself in a reasonably modest blue bikini with a midnight blue sarong tied around her waist. She felt on top of her head and found a pair of sunglasses and to her right on the table that sat between herself and Kate, were two large, full, cocktail glasses complete with fruit slices over the edge of the glass, novelty stirrers and paper umbrella.

"I'm sorry" Kate adjusted the strap of her own red bikini and reached for one of the cocktails "I couldn't get the cabana boys"

"Cabana… ohh…" Buffy remembered the words she'd spoken in what seemed like a lifetime ago ….. //"I'm seriously considering making a run for it and living in a hut on a beach somewhere. Preferably with cocktails and studly cabana boys nearby"//……

"Mmm" Kate took a long sip of her drink "Ooh, hits the spot. You should try yours."

Buffy just stared back at her. "I'd prefer you just tell me what I've got to make up my mind about."

Kate took another sip of her drink before she set it back down. "It's not about a *what*" Kate replied. "It's about a *who*"

"A *who*?" Buffy paused, thinking "Who *who*?"

"Xander."

Buffy blinked "…Oh"

"Feel like that drink now?"

-------------------

"Ugh, this room is beginning to make me queasy" Xander grimaced slightly as he tried to focus on something other than the constantly moving walls. It wasn't easy because it didn't exactly leave a lot else to look at. He'd tried the ceiling but it just gave him neck ache.

Instead he settled for looking at the other chair that sat at a right angle from him. //Nope//, he decided after ten seconds, //Time for something else//. Sighing, he reached out and pulled it towards himself, positioning it so he could rest his feet up on it.

Sinking back into the soft cushions of his own chair, Xander closed his eyes and folded his arms loosely across his chest. At least he could try and see if he could fall asleep. It wasn't as if there was anything else for him to do.

It had taken him a couple of minutes before he plucked up the courage to actually take a step forward, or sideways or anyways. And it wasn't just because the floor was moving, no, that he could deal with. If he got caught wrong, all he'd do was fall on his butt. It was the worry that one of the panels might suddenly disappear and he'd fall through into the blackness outside.

So the first thing he'd done was lie on his stomach, slowly moving forward, thinking that if he spread his weight he'd have less chance of disappearing outside. So when one of the panels had vanished, luckily by his right hand, he'd gingerly touched his fingers to the space it had left, only to find that it appeared to be the same type of shield that stopped himself and Buffy from leaving the study.

Taking that as a good sign, Xander had then got to his feet and made his way carefully around the room, trying to see if there was anyway he could get out, or even where someone else could get in, but there were no doors on the walls, even as they moved.

He'd tried calling out, to Buffy, to the woman who'd kissed him and put him here, even to Sean. But no one answered, or he didn't or couldn't hear them.

In his slight doze, Xander ended up thinking back to that morning. Mostly about kissing Buffy. /Or maybe I should say, Buffy kissing me// Xander thought, //At least the first time anyway//. The first time, he'd been sure it was just Buffy's snapped reaction to the whole spooky situation and the fact that he'd died or at least thought he'd died. Xander had no idea now what was going on about that. But when Buffy's fingers had began to tangle in his hair as he'd kissed her back, it began to change from the initial urgency and Xander could feel it, feel that something else that he'd thought was long forgotten.

//And lets just say this again, just in case somebody didn't hear it the first time// "Oh no," Xander murmured, still with his eyes closed, "My life's not complicated"

"It will be if you don't get your feet off my chair, I only took the plastic wrap off them yesterday"

-------------------

For the most part of half an hour, since Kate had finally decided to tell Buffy what it was she wanted, Buffy had been staring sullenly out at the sea or ocean or whatever the big, blue expanse of water was, trying to find someway of not answering the question.

Problem was, the question that Kate wanted answering was something that Buffy had been thinking about since she and Xander had had that first soft, brief kiss in Doug and Rosa Delamere's kitchen.

Then there was the heated, tongue duelling kiss that she'd shared with Xander only that morning, the one that was driven by a need to connect, to find what she thought she'd lost. To find something real that she could cling onto.

//Something real// Buffy's subconscious laughed at that one. //Look at where you are girl. Look at where you were half an hour ago//. Buffy looked around at her surroundings //Is this even real?//

It all seemed real though, Buffy thought. The sand was warm, but not too hot, between her toes and the sun felt warm against her skin, a gentle breeze taking just enough heat out of the rays. She could hear the water too as it lapped against the shoreline and she could hear the slight rustle of the palm trees as the breeze jostled their leaves.

She could also smell the hot dog that Kate had conjured out of thin air and was now quite happily munching her way through.

Kate turned to Buffy when she caught Buffy looking at her. She wiped a smidgen of ketchup from the corner of her mouth before she spoke, with her mouthful. "Ya wan' one?"

Buffy scowled at the other woman "No thanks. My mom taught me never to take food from evil people."

Kate shrugged and swallowed what she had left in her mouth "Whatever" she picked a piece of lettuce off the bun and dropped it onto the sand beside her. "So" Kate turned to Buffy again "Gonna talk to me about it yet?"

"No, because there is nothing to talk about" Buffy replied curtly. "There is *nothing* to talk about because there is *nothing* for me to make my mind up about" Buffy tried to ignore the faint strains of 'Liar liar, pants on fire…' that were sounding in her ears.

Kate finished her hot dog. "So… you've already made your mind up about him then?" Kate deliberately didn't look at Buffy.

"Why?" Buffy groaned frustratedly "Why do you insist on twisting everything I say?"

"In the hope that I can confuse you enough to think about what you don't want to."

"Well, it's not working." //'Cos I'm already thinking about it//

"Oh, so there *is* something to think about then?"

//I hate this woman!// "Stop it!" Buffy jumped up from her lounger and glared down at Kate "Just stop it! Stop *twisting*. There is nothing, because there *is* *nothing* between me and Xander, OK? //Liar liar…// Have you got that through your thick skull yet!"

Buffy stalked away from Kate, kicking sand up with her feet as she headed across the beach, trying to get as far away from other woman as possible.

Or she would have done, had Buffy not walked into an invisible shield when she'd put about twenty metres between them both.

Buffy fell back onto her butt and she brought her hand to her nose and forehead, rubbing away the soreness. Buffy kicked out angrily at the shield and as her foot connected with it, the same blue shimmers rippled out in waves as they'd done when she'd put her hand against the study doorway.

Buffy muttered obscenities under her breath and got to her feet, brushing sand from herself once upright. She put her hands on her hips and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "Gee. What a surprise" Buffy said sarcastically "I'm stuck here."

"If you ask nicely, I might let you go and paddle for a minute or two."

"You're *really* desperate for company aren't you?" Buffy gave a shake of her head and reluctantly started to head back to the other woman.

"Maybe I'm just wondering if that's your problem."

"What?"

Kate shrugged "Perhaps you're just lonely."

Buffy sat down heavily on her lounger "Lonely? Oh God," Buffy groaned tiredly "What are you on about now?"

"Well, it's just it really hasn't been that long since you and testosterone boy broke up because he found fighting demons in the jungle more appealing than you"

"He found getting fed off by vampire junkies more appealing than me" Buffy said snippily, lifting her feet onto the lounger and turning onto her back, flipping the sunglasses down over her eyes. 

"Although… you did run after him" Kate pointed out.

Buffy sighed "Yes, I am aware of that, thank you. Anything else you'd like tell me that I already know?"

"Xander's a fantastic kisser."

"*What*?" Buffy whipped her head around to face Kate "How did you know that!"

"I didn't." Kate smirked "I do now."

Buffy felt the flush creep up her neck and she turned her face forward again. "Evil" she muttered.

"How about," Kate suggested "I just show you some things you *didn't* know about Xander?"

"Like what?" Buffy sighed, "'Cos if you're gonna tell me about bombs and zombies, then I already know about that." Buffy turned to Kate "He told me"

"What about the things he hasn't told you about?"

Buffy couldn't help a little curious frown form forming. "Which things?"

"Like, he remembers everything he did whilst under the possession of the hyena spirit"

Buffy quirked one eyebrow "And you can prove that how?"

"Like this." 

Kate waved one of her hands in an arc infront of her and suddenly a large, black oval about a two metres across and a metre and a half high, appeared a few feet infront of them, hovering in the air at their eye level. Its edges weren't sharp; instead they feathered out into the air around it.

"And that's proving it is it?" Buffy said dryly. "Oh, yeah. I'm convinced."

"Ha. I haven't started the show yet." Kate snapped her fingers "Just shut up and listen."
    
    Buffy blinked when suddenly the black oval flickered into life and she image was greeted by was one of Sunnydale High School, and of herself, Willow, Xander and Giles climbing the steps up from the quad. Then she heard all their voices, loud and clear and Buffy smiled a little as she remembered, then came the part when she and Willow left and Xander and Giles were by themselves…
    Giles: I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards.
    Xander: Did you tell them that?
    Giles: Your secret dies with me.
    Xander: Shoot me, stuff me, mount me.

Buffy stared at the oval for a few moments after, even though it flickered back to black. "So…" she said finally, pushing her sunglasses back up onto her head "What is it you'd like me to say about that exactly?"

"Well, when I actually turn into a psychiatrist, I'll let you know. Maybe we could even do inkblots together." Kate gave a shake of her head and then took a sip of her drink "I'm just showin' you Buffy. That's all."

Buffy frowned "Well, I don't know what I think" Buffy started picking at the material of her sarong. //But its not like I didn't suspect anyway…//

"Wanna see something else?" Kate asked.

Buffy turned to her "What is it this time?"

Kate just smiled and snapped her fingers "Take a look"

Buffy looked back to the oval again to see it flicker into an image of a hospital room, with Willow sitting upright in bed with Xander, Oz and Cordelia standing around her. Buffy remembered this. This was Angelus and Acathla. So she watched to find out…
    
    Willow: There's no use arguing with me. Do you see my resolve face? You've seen it before. You know what it means. This can help Buffy. If we turn Angel back soon enough, we can stop him from ever awakening Acathla.
    Oz: Okay, I pretty much missed out on some stuff, didn't I? Because this is all making a kind of sense that's... not.
    Willow: Go with Cordy to the library and get my things. She'll fill you in.
    Oz: Sure. I'll drive.
    Willow: Xander, go to Buffy. Tell her what we're doing. Maybe she can stall.
    Xander: But I...
    Willow: Resolve face.
    The image then cut to one of herself and Xander outside on the way to the mansion.
    Xander: Now, that's a new look for you.
    Buffy: It's a present for Angel.
    Xander: Willow… Uh, she told me to tell you...
    Buffy: Tell me what?

Xander: … Kick his ass.

Then the image went to black again. 

Kate turned to Buffy who was staring straight ahead. "Know what to think about that one?"

Buffy didn't say anything. She shot a frosty look at Kate and got up from the lounger and made her way down across the sand and just to where the water came up onto the beach. Buffy sat down and hugged her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.

//Why does everything have to be so complicated?//

-------------------

"Gah!" Xander started and his eyes flew open at the sound of an unexpected voice. "Oh, just don't... do…" Xander began to trail off and put back his feet that he was about to take from the other chair when he saw who had spoken to him. 

It was Kate, still looking the same as Xander had last seen her - in her black skirt and top.

"Oh it's you" Xander continued, settling back into his chair again, glaring up at her. "Forgive me if I don't get up, but I really don't want to be anywhere near you."

"Well, that's going to be a little bit difficult" Kate replied, pulling the chair forcefully away from underneath his feet, making Xander to slip forward in his own chair and causing him to grab on to the arms and pull himself back upright. "Mainly because," she continued "You and I are going to have a conversation." Kate sighed as she sat herself down in the chair "I just hope you're going to be a little bit more co-operative than Buffy"

"Where is she?" Xander demanded.

"At the moment," Kate replied "She's sunning herself on a beach, hopefully about to learn a few new things."

"Great, so I get the pleasure of your company instead?" Xander said sarcastically. "Then maybe you might want to tell me where the hell I am."

"This place doesn't really have a name" Kate replied "I guess you could say though, it's like a kinda waiting room."

"A waiting room for what?"

"Answers."

"Very cryptic."

"Thank you."

"That was sarcasm."

"Y'know, I got that" Kate crossed one leg over the other and let her hands fall in her lap. "And now I can see you're going to be just a big a pain in the ass as Buffy. Just wonderful."

"What do you expect?" Xander gave her an incredulous look "You just come waltzing in-"

"-here and expect you to do yada yada yada." Kate sighed "Yeah. I've heard it."

"Then why do it?" Xander asked simply. "Are me and Buffy so interesting, that you feel the need to piss us off royally?"

"I thought you were already pissed off royally 'cos you got pulled out of your, air quote, normal lives by QL2" Kate raised an eyebrow "Weren't you?"

"Yeah." Xander replied "We were. Are."

"Just hanging in there 'til you get leapt back?"

Xander nodded "We just wanna go home. Back to the people we love, that's all."

"Like, say for instance, your girlfriend? Anya, I believe?"

Xander held Kate's gaze for a few long moments. Her nonchalant tone made him wonder just exactly what her ulterior motive was. "Yeah, Anya" Xander said carefully. "Not to mention family and friends that we miss."

A trace of a smile found it's way onto Kate's lips "What do you think they're doing right now?" she asked.

"I don't know" Xander said quietly "Hopefully they're still all OK. Sean said he'd let us know if anything…" he trailed off, dropping his gaze "Buffy and I try not to think too much about it" Xander looked up again "None of it will matter when we get back anyway. We just leap right back to when we left."

"True enough" Kate replied. She paused for a moment before continuing and Xander caught the nonchalant tone again. "But… what about the things that happen to *you*?" she said "Those matter, right? When you go back?"

"Like dying?" Xander answered cautiously "Yeah, I'd say that'd matter." He studied Kate's face and caught something in her eye "If maybe it actually happened in the first place"

Kate smiled a little more "Clever boy."

"Yeah, just give me a treat and pat me on the head" Xander narrowed his eyes as he glared at her "I can't believe you put me through that. You *bitch*" he said coldly.

Xander saw Kate's eyes flash, but she managed to keep her face neutral. "None of it was real Xander" she explained "Not you dying, not Tom dying, nothing. You and Buffy just dreamt it, that's all."

"A really real dream" Xander muttered bitterly, remembering his words. "Pretty damn despicable if you ask me."

"Not really" Kate corrected him "Considering I did give you the means to save Tom's life. That was your job here" she continued, seeing the dubious look Xander gave her "He died falling from the roof originally. Now he won't even be going up there thanks to you this morning."

"Now I'm really getting confused" Xander rubbed at his temple "You're telling me, that making me feel like crap was to help me?"

"And Buffy. I wanted to see what your reactions were, what you did." Kate smiled "Gotta say, you both definitely gave me something to work with."

"And what was that?"

"One of those things that'll matter when you get back home."

Xander sighed. "You're talking about what happened between me and Buffy this morning aren't you?"

"Amongst other things." Kate replied "Other things, for instance, what Buffy has held back from you."

Xander shot a puzzled look at Kate. "What are you talking about?"

"Like when that vampire, Marion, in London almost ripped your throat out" Kate informed him. "Buffy went with you in the ambulance and watched as your heart stopped twice and they had to resuscitate you."

Xander blinked. "What?" his voice was barely audible. Xander shook his head "No, it's not-"

"True?" Kate interrupted. "Sorry, but I'm afraid it is. I can show you the footage of the whole thing if you want. It makes for very dramatic viewing."

"I don't…" Xander covered his face with his ands then pushed them up and onto the top of his head. "My heart…?"

"Stopped."

"Twice?"

"Unfortunately."

"… it stopped?" Xander's hands fell back into his lap. "But Buffy-"

"Never said. I know" Kate replied bluntly "Can we please get off this now?" Kate asked impatiently "I'm kinda done with that bit and I want to get onto something else."

"Hey, you might be done with it" Xander shot back "But I'm still dealing with it here. You can't just-"

"Y'know, I'm sure Buffy had her reasons" Kate cut him off again "I mean, I'm sure there were reasons why she wasn't going to tell you about sleeping with that guy Will. That college guy on your third leap, remember?"

Xander narrowed his eyes at Kate "I *remember*"

"Oh do I detect a little-"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Buffy's a grown woman. She can make her own decisions."

"Well that is kinda the whole point of this little exercise"  
  
Xander frowned "You're saying getting out of here all depends on Buffy?"

"Not quite all" Kate replied "I haven't quite finished with you just yet"

-------------------

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Kate asked as she sat down next to Buffy at the shoreline. It had been about forty minutes since Buffy had gone down there. "You can't have anything for a while now" Kate stated "Not since your last leap I'll bet."

"M'not hungry" Buffy said quietly.

Kate flipped her hair over her shoulder "Well, just let me know when you feel hungry. I'll zap you a sandwich or something. I do a mean chicken salad."

"Please, will you just go away?"

"I've got some more things to show you" Kate told her, not budging from the sand. "More things he hasn't told you about."

"I don't want to know" Buffy looked out across the expanse of water again.

"Why?"

"Because I don't."

"Why?"

"Did you not hear me?" Buffy said agitatedly "I *don't* *want* to"

"Yes, I heard you Buffy" Kate replied "But I want a better answer than that."

"Well you're not going to get one."

"Afraid you'll see something else to make you think differently about Xander?"

"I didn't see-" Buffy broke off. She turned to Kate again and looked as though she was going to say something, but Buffy didn't. Buffy got up and brushed sand from her thighs. She stayed standing, crossing her arms over her chest and let the breeze blow through her hair.

Buffy let the those images on the screen, the images of Xander pretending not to have any recollection of the hyena possession and of him not telling her about Willow attempting to restore Angel's soul, and she knew it hurt that Xander hadn't told her.

And the Acathla experience was not something she wanted in her head at any time. It had been hard during and for a time after. And she'd always asked herself, "What if I'd known? What if I'd known that Willow was attempting the spell? Could I have stopped it all?"

But seeing those images now, and thinking about it all over again, Buffy had come to the conclusion that if she had have known that Willow was trying the spell, she'd risk everyone's lives. If she'd known and she'd stalled, Angelus would have picked up that something was wrong and he would have acted on it. That would have been something that she would never have forgiven herself for.

No, she couldn't blame Xander for not telling her. That had been for the best.

Under the possession, she knew the things that Xander had done, he had no control over; hurting Willow and physically attacking her, they weren't done by Xander, not *their* Xander. 

And the only thing that hurt about that was the fact that Xander had felt that he couldn't talk to them about it.

But Buffy shook that off. She could guess why. Xander blamed himself and was ashamed of the way he though he'd behaved. He hadn't lied to hurt them, he'd lied because he thought they'd hate him.

And she also knew that none of that mattered now. She did have to tell Xander that she knew, but she could also then tell him that she understood and didn't hold anything against him.

Buffy looked back to Kate, who was now lying on her back on the sand, her hands resting on her stomach. Buffy put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at the other woman. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I don't get out much."

"Well I've noticed you're not a people person."

"Did you want something, or are you just happy to banter?"

"I want to tell you…" Buffy trailed off and a smile began to form on her lips "That I'm not afraid."

"Of what?"

"Sorry." Buffy smiled a little wider "My turn to be cryptic." She paused "And can I get one of those sandwiches? Chicken salad sounds great. Easy on the mayo though"

-------------------

"Y'know, if you keep frowning like that" Kate said, "Your face'll stick"

"I'm thinking" Xander replied "This is my thinking face. I can't help what my eyebrows do."

"Ookaay" Kate said slowly "Uh, any chance you could stop pacing then? 'Cos what with you and the walls, I'm thinking it won't be long before I end up seeing what I ate for breakfast"

Xander stopped and looked at her "Y'know I really couldn't care less about the fragility of your stomach" he told her "Issues of my own here, OK?"

"Oh, nothing I've said I hope?"

Xander stopped and glared at Kate, who was looking all too innocent for Xander's liking. "Oh no, nothing you've said" he mimicked sarcastically.

"Xander, you know I wouldn't have mentioned it if I'd-"

"Crap" Xander cut her off. He began pacing again.

"So… which one's bugging you the most?" Kate asked "Buffy not telling you about London, or Buffy's sex romp with that college guy?"

Xander paced for a little while longer until he stopped by the fireplace. He stood with his back to Kate. "I'm not…" he started and then trailed off. Xander shoved his hands in his pockets and started again "Maybe… maybe she didn't tell me about London because it was pretty damn obvious to anyone that I almost died." Xander turned around to face Kate "I was *actually* *there* in the hospital when I woke up" Xander's voice was slightly patronising as he spoke "I do remember feeling like I'd been chewed up and then spat out." 

Xander looked at the floor for a moment, briefly wondering why he couldn't feel it moving underneath his feet, before he glanced back up at Kate, who was looking at him expectantly. Xander shrugged "Maybe she thought I didn't need to be worrying about it y'know and-and I think she was right. I felt like shit afterwards and there was all the worry about everyone and the house…" he trailed off.

"So why didn't Buffy tell you afterwards" Kate replied "It's not like she never had the opportunity."

Xander held Kate's gaze. "I've been in the 'almost died' situation before." Xander told her "Our second leap, I got blown up. And that *actually* felt worse than having my neck ripped open. But… but, d'ya know what?"

"Enlighten me."

"My featured word was *almost*" Xander replied "Why would I need to worry about something that didn't happen? So, Buffy didn't tell me" he added "But how *would* telling me about it have made things different? It wouldn't have stopped that vampire, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"And that's what you really think is it?"

"Are you saying it isn't?"

"Not at all" Kate replied with a shrug "It's what you think"

"…oh"

Seeing his surprised expression, Kate raised an eyebrow "Whatever you may believe Xander, I'm not here to *tell* you what to think"

"Then what are you here to do? Because right now all you're doing is annoying me and I'm pretty sure you were annoying Buffy when you were with her"

"Oh, I'm still annoying Buffy. Well I was."

Xander was puzzled "When were you with Buffy?"

"Its called being in two places at once" Kate replied "Comes in handy. At the moment Buffy's staying schtum and refusing to watch any more of my videos. Which is really annoying 'cos I went to all the trouble of finding the right music to them" Kate sighed "She's getting a bit of payback at the moment."

"Payback?"

Kate nodded. "And a sandwich."

-------------------

"Y'know, I'm getting real tired of you not answering my question" Kate stated, turning her head to Buffy "And how many more of those sandwiches are you going to eat?"

"Wha'?" Buffy spoke with her mouthful "I din' 'ave brea'fas'"

Kate looked Buffy up and down "Where the hell do you put it all?"

"Slay' metab'lism" Buffy took another mouthful "Can eat wha' I wan'"

"Well I'm not zapping you anymore."

Buffy shrugged and proceeded to polish off the remains of her food, sucking a tiny smudge of mayo off her thumb. "And what question are you going on about anyway?"

Kate sighed "I asked you what you meant when you said you weren't afraid, remember?"

"Oh that"

"Yes that. Care to explain?"

"I'm definitely not getting anymore food?"

"No."

"Alright, fine" Buffy tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear "I meant, that I wasn't afraid that you would show me anything else that would make me feel different about Xander"

"You aren't afraid I'll show you anything else or you aren't afraid you'll feel differently about Xander?"

"You know, you're twisting again." Buffy waggled a finger at Kate "I told you about that"

"Not twisting. Clarifying."

"OK, then in that case, I'm not going to feel different about Xander."

"In what way feel different? *Clarifying*" Kate added when Buffy shot her a look. "So" Kate continued when Buffy seemed placated "Tell me."

-------------------

"OK, so we've done London" Kate began ticking off on her fingers "So that means we've still got that college guy to do-" Kate smirked "Even though Buffy has already-"

"Don't even think about saying it" Xander shot Kate a warning look "Just don't."

"For someone who isn't jealous, you're doing a damn good impression."

"I'm not jealous" Xander replied. He turned to face the moving walls, which now didn't seem to make him so giddy up close. Xander reached out to touch one of the panels, surprised to find that there was some kind of thin, transparent layer between his fingers and the moving walls. "Anyway…" he continued, prodding at the wall again "It doesn't matter now"

"Why not?"

Xander turned to face Kate. "Because it's in the past" he replied "Buffy and I, we… we spoke about it."

"I know. She said she realised it was a mistake." Kate began to relay as if reading a list "It was just that he made her feel special, told her she was beautiful. He made her feel wanted."

"That's what she said" Xander replied "And I believe her."

"Good for you" Kate said, "I mean, after all… I guess the last person to make her feel like that was that Riley guy of hers. Then anyway."

"Yeah… yeah, she was missing Riley."

"Probably a little loneliness mixed in there too."

"… probably…" Xander frowned a little "Where is this going exactly?"

"Do you think she's still lonely?"

Xander stood and looked at Kate in silence for a few moments. "I want you to tell me where you're going with this" he demanded finally.

"You shot a guy for her" Kate stood up and walked over to him "You promised her that you'd look after her"

"'Cos I care about her" Xander returned "You do that with friends. Or don't you have any?"

"None that I kiss like you two did."

Xander opened his mouth to respond, but realised he didn't have anything to say to that. Defensively, he hugged his arms around himself. "Well, I guess extreme circumstances like you put us through, can make people act crazy like that."

"Thought you told Buffy it wasn't crazy?"

"I…" Xander trailed off when he realised that Kate was right. He walked away from her "Just leave me alone."

"Are you lonely?" Kate asked, ignoring Xander's request "Is that why you feel drawn to Buffy? Maybe that's exactly how she's feeling about you."

Xander spun around "You don't know *any*thing about how I feel about Buffy"

Kate never dropped her gaze from Xander's angry look. "Tell me then. I'm all ears."

-------------------

"I like Xander, OK?" Buffy said, "I like him a lot" she flushed a little pink as she added that admission "More than I probably should. I mean in the more than friends sense."

"And why can't I make you feel different about that?" Kate asked.

"Because…" Buffy trailed off and began picking at the material of her sarong again "Because everything that you showed me or tried to show me," she continued "It doesn't change who he is. It doesn't change who he is now."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a good person." Buffy replied "He's one of the best. And, OK, I know that he's not perfect, but" Buffy held Kate's inquisitive gaze "I never implied that he was. Everyone makes mistakes, *I* make mistakes, *I'm* not perfect either."

"And you think that makes you the perfect match?"

"I never said that either" Buffy corrected her. Then she sighed "I don't know what we are" Buffy continued "But I feel it, there's something there that wasn't before."

"You feel that's he's a good man?"

"I do."

"He makes you feel nice? Wanted? Special?"

Buffy studied her for a second. "What's with that tone?"

"Tone?" Kate looked back at her "There was no tone"

"There was a definite tone" Buffy gave Kate a firm look.

"Alright, maybe there was a little one" she admitted. "I'm just saying, that's how you said that college guy Will made you feel, that's all."

"That was different" Buffy kept her firm gaze locked on Kate "Will was… I made a decision, OK. It was wrong, but like I said, we all make mistakes. He was just-"

"In the right place at the right time?" Kate interrupted.

Buffy blinked, Kate's question throwing her a little. "… maybe…" Buffy faltered a little "No... I don't… no…"

Kate pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head and fixed her piercing gaze on Buffy. "Is Xander just in the right place at the right time?"

"What? No!" Buffy relied hotly "Of course he's not!" Buffy jumped up off her lounger and stomped away for a few steps before spinning round to face Kate again "What the hell kind of question is that?!"

Kate stood up too "Then why Xander?!" she called out after Buffy who had begun to storm away from her again "Why do think that this is different?!"

"Because-!" Buffy spun around again, facing off the other woman. "Because he *is* Xander! OK?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!"

Kate didn't reply. 

She just snapped her fingers.

-------------------

"Buffy means a lot to me, OK?" Xander confessed "She means a whole lot. She always has" he added quietly.

"You loved her once" Kate's head tilted to one side "Is that what you're feeling again?"

"I love her as a friend" Xander replied "What this is, what I'm feeling now about her… I don't know… not love, not like you're thinking, but I… I…" Xander trailed off, searching for the right words.

Kate bought him some more time to search. "You sure you're not imagining these feelings? Projecting a missed affection for your girlfriend onto someone who-"

"I'm not-" Xander cut her off "I'm not *projecting* anything"

"You sure 'bout that?"

"*I'm* *sure*"

"You feel guilty thought, don't you? About Anya?"

Xander kept her gaze for a second before he hung his head and studied the tops of his shoes. "I love Anya" he said softly "Of course I feel guilty" Xander looked back up Kate "But I can't help how I feel about Buffy."

Kate walked over to him, finally stopping only a foot away "It's more than friendship?"

"Oh because that's not been obvious" Xander said dryly. Then he sighed. "I don't know what it is about her, it's like, I don't know…"

"She's Buffy?"

Xander let that remark float through his brain.

"Yeah" he replied finally, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth "I think that's it"

Kate studied his face for a moment before a smile found itself on her face. Although her next words surprised Xander.

"Happy landing" she said.

And then suddenly Xander could feel the panels moving underneath feet and it caught him off balance, sending him to the floor. "What the-" he managed to get out before the panel beneath him disappeared completely and this time there was no invisible shield separating him from the blackness below.

And he fell.

Xander cried out, but he didn't hear himself as he rushed downwards. The sound of the wind rushing past his ears was the only thing he heard as he watched the room get smaller and smaller above him.

As he twisted and turned in his descent, Xander could just make out something below him, and it was getting far too close for Xander's liking.

And then he woke up.

-------------------

The moment his eyes opened, Xander jerked into sitting position, clutching one hand to his chest. His eyes darted wildly around the room and his chest was heaving as he sucked in deep breaths of air. 

"Oh God" he groaned when he realised that he was back in Harry's bedroom. "Not again. Tell me this isn't happening again."

Xander ran a hand through his hair and started to untangle himself from the bed covers, when a voice surprised him from behind.

"Xander!"

The sound of Sean's voice was enough to startle Xander into falling from the bed; his lower limbs still entangled in the bed covers as he hit the floor.

"Sean?!" Xander stared shock, and a little relief, at the other man "What-"

"Oh, for the love of Ricky Martin in leather pants, you can see me!" Sean exclaimed, interrupting Xander. "*Finally*, we're getting somewhere"

"You're here?!" Xander got to his feet fast. "Oh God, I hug you if I could. Please, please you have to tell me what the hell is going on" he spoke quickly, "No, no, wait. Tell me where Buffy is and *then* tell us what the hell is going on."

Sean blinked. "Ookaay…" he said slowly, "You're scarily hyper this morning."

"Well can you blame me after what's been going on?" Xander fretted as he quickly pulled on some shoes, "Look, are you gonna tell me where Buffy is or do I have to go door to door in this place until I find her?"

Sean looked at Xander, a little puzzled. "Uh, OK. Sure. She's not too far away. Maggie's room" Sean informed him "Middle hallway off the top of the stairs; the door right at the end."

"Thanks," Xander flashed a grateful smile at Sean as he darted past him and out the door. "See you there."

Sean stared after him, still puzzled. "Don't you even want to know who Maggie is?" Sean wondered aloud to himself before he pressed a few keys on 'Gizmo' and disappeared into thin air.

-------------------

Xander practically skidded around the corner from the first floor landing and onto the middle hallway that led from it, resorting to jamming his hand out quickly against the wall to stop himself from going headfirst to the floor.

But he managed to keep himself upright and continued along the dimly lit hallway until he reached the end. There was only one door on the right side of the corridor, and Xander burst into the room, almost colliding with Buffy who was on her way out.

Buffy's eyes lit up when she saw Xander. "Xan!" she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh God," she murmured, "I didn't know what had happened to you." Buffy lifted her head to look at him "Suddenly I was at the beach and-and talking to her and then I was here and waking up."

"Me too" Xander hugged her tight once more and then they stepped apart, albeit not too far from the other. "Well, not the beach," Xander continued, "Just a nauseating room and then I was falling, which, not new for me now, and then I woke up."

"Beach?" Sean looked between the two. "What beach? What room?"

Both Buffy and Xander turned to Sean, perplexed looks on both their faces. "Where she took us," Xander said slowly, "Y'know, Kate?"

Sean just stared back at him. "Took? Kate? What are you talking about?"

"We're talking about what the hell has been going on here Sean" Buffy explained. "All this God damn wackiness that we're being put through."

"OK, look" Sean shook his head, wondering if it would make things clearer "I know, I've been a bit late getting to you both, but we've been having technical difficulties and-"

"Yeah, we know" Xander interrupted, looking at Sean oddly. "We're in deep. You told us that. About us being on an inner orbit and stuff."

Sean returned the odd look. "What… how do you know about being in deep? I've *never* mentioned that."

"You mentioned it yesterday" Xander replied, although now sounding a little unsure "O-or whenever the hell it was." Xander looked at Buffy. "He mentioned it right?"

Buffy nodded and then looked back at Sean. "It was right after the accident with…" Buffy trailed off and turned back to Xander, seeing the same realisation in his eyes. "Which didn't happen?"

"'Cos it was a dream" Xander closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. "Probably all of it"

"That we both had?"

Xander opened his eyes again to see Buffy looking up at him with confusion. "We both couldn't have had the same dream," she continued, "Not one like that."

"Not one like what?" Sean demanded. "Could one of you two please tell me what's going on here? Why do you think I should know stuff that I don't?"

Xander was still looking at Buffy. "She said we'd leap back out. That we'd already done what we were supposed to here."

"Well I can tell you that you haven't" Sean replied and the other two looked at him, still both confused. "You only got here last night."

"Last night?" Buffy echoed. "You mean that Tom… he's still-"

Sean blinked. "How did you know it was Tom?"

"Oh my…" Buffy sighed and sat down on the bed, staring at the floor for a moment before looking back up at the two men. "I think we need to start from the beginning"

"No, no wait a minute" Xander's tone was urgent. He turned to Sean "We're here to stop Tom from falling, yeah? From the roof?"

Sean nodded slowly. "There was an accident," he confirmed, "The ladder snapped and he fell. Died from head injuries. How did you-""

"But he's still alive now?" Xander cut him off, "I mean *right* *now*?"

"Alive and kicking" Sean replied. "Xander, look, can-"

"In a minute, OK?" Xander requested, "Can you check where Tom is now? Is he in the kitchen?"

"Uh, hang on," Sean referred to Gizmo, tapping away on the keypad. A couple of moments later he looked back to Xander and Buffy, who was standing again. "He's in the kitchen" Sean confirmed, sounding slightly amazed. "How did you-" he tried to say again, but this time Buffy cut him off.

"Looks like we're gonna have to do this again Xand" Buffy put her hand on his arm. "You go down. Stop him like you did, or like we thought you did, or whatever, just *stop* him" she urged, "I'll stay here and try and get this all straight with Sean."

Xander nodded. "OK" He laid his hand on Buffy's shoulder "I'll come back up here." Xander held her gaze for a moment "We need to talk."

"I know" Buffy said softly, a hesitant smile on her lips. "Go on, go."

Sean watched Xander's retreating form for a moment before turning back to Buffy. "OK, wanna tell me what that hearts and flowers moment was about?"

"Just stuff" Buffy replied carefully. She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly "So, come on. Let's try and get this sorted out. You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

-------------------

Xander watched Tom leave the kitchen via the back door. "Third times a charm?" he murmured softly to himself, shaking his head a little.

He leant back against one of the kitchen counters and covered his face with his hands before running them through his hair and then clasping them at the base of his neck. "Now hopefully we should be leaping out of here." He glanced around when he obviously hadn't. Xander sighed. "Now why aren't I more surprised?"

Xander shook his head again and headed out of the kitchen and into the narrow hallway that then led into the main foyer. He really hoped that Sean and Buffy were at least making some headway on what was happening. His head was still verging on some kind of meltdown, at a least partial one, and he didn't think he could cope with much more. Especially with those little warm and fuzzy tendrils of 'liking-Buffy-in-the more-than-friends-sense' that were slowly, but surely, snaking their way through his system.

//Well, at least I'm admitting it now// Xander though as he began to climb the stairs //Gotta be good for something//.

Xander turned his head towards the passageway door when he heard it begin to open and put himself a little on guard, as it was likely it would be a member of the Grantham household. He relaxed though when he saw it was Buffy.

"That was quick" he remarked. "So, what did Sean say?"

"Therein lies the problem" Buffy replied sombrely "I got up to telling him about us waking up after we thought you'd died and-and-" Buffy started to sound a little anxious, "He started to fade out, like I-I couldn't see him or-or hear him or anything."

"That's so not good" Xander groaned.

"Uh huh" Buffy nodded in agreement "So I just said, in case he could still hear us, that we'd try and sort it out on our next leap 'cos, I mean, you told Tom right?" she asked and Xander nodded. "Good, so we should be…" Buffy began again and then started to trail off and glanced around "… out of… here?" Buffy looked at Xander, confused. "Why are we not leaping?"

"I've not a damn clue" Xander sighed resignedly

Buffy groaned and slumped back against the counter next to Xander "Why us?"

"Ditto."

"No, I mean, really" Buffy tilted her head up to Xander.

Xander caught her eye. "Did you not hear my 'ditto'?"

"So that ditto encompassed all that is insane and screwy about our lives and everything that is insane and screwy that *actually* happens to us?"

"Pretty much." Xander couldn't help but crack a small smile.

A tiny smile settled on Buffy's lips as well. "Is it too much to ask for a little normality?"

"Yup." Xander answered reluctantly.

Buffy sighed dejectedly. "It's not enough that we fight monsters, y'know, everyday and-and have the occasional apocolypt-y type things, *now* we have to…" Buffy began to trail off when she and Xander both heard voices getting louder outside the kitchen door. "OK," she continued in a softer voice "I'm so not wanting to make small talk with the family right now."

"Here, come on," Xander took her arm and gently led her towards the door that led back to the dining room, "We can go in here"

"We should head up to the study" was Buffy's whispered suggestion once they were halfway through the passage between the kitchen and dining room. She glanced back at the now closed door behind them. "We need to figure out what's going on."

Xander kept hold of Buffy's arm before she could make it into the dining room. "That's why we're going to stay here" he whispered.

Buffy turned to look at him, trying to read his expression in what dim light there was. "Huh?" Buffy kept her voice low "Here?"

"We can eavesdrop" Xander explained quietly, letting go of Buffy's arm. "Maybe find out if there's something else here we should be doing. Remember what Sam said about missions changing?"

"OK, OK" Buffy agreed. She ran a hand through her hair. "So?" she asked quietly, "Can you hear anything?"

Xander had his ear pressed up against the door to the kitchen. "I think it's Mrs Grantham," Xander replied in hushed tones. "Sounds like she's complaining to someone."

"Herbert?" Buffy whispered, pressing her ear to the door as well.

Xander gave a slight shake of his head. "Some other guy," he replied.

Buffy's brow creased. "Probably that doctor."

Xander caught the angry tone in Buffy's whisper. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Buff," Xander murmured "Try not to think about it."

"How can I not?" Buffy took a step away from the door and Xander's hand dropped from her shoulder to her lower arm. She caught Xander's eye "It was horrible." Her voice was barely audible. "Even if it wasn't real."

Xander moved from the door as Buffy stepped back again and his hand unconsciously slipped into hers, not becoming aware of it until Buffy threaded her fingers through his and she squeezed his hand.

Xander sighed softly. "I know" he murmured.

Buffy rested her head gently against his chest, closing her eyes when Xander let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her and for a moment while in his embrace, Buffy forgot about all the worries that were plaguing her.

It would have been for a few moments more, but Sean's voice interrupted the comfort between the two friends.

"Hey guys?" the hologram at least sounded apologetic, "I think we've found something," he told them. "Look follow me and I'll explain" Sean gestured over the shoulder towards the kitchen, "We can talk freely outside"

Both Buffy and Xander broke apart, albeit reluctantly, and followed after Sean as he led them back out into the dining room and towards the front door. Xander opened it as Sean just proceeded to walk through the door. 

"Found what?" Xander asked as Buffy closed the door behind them both, "And why aren't we leaping?"

"Uh, OK, second question first" Sean replied as Buffy and Xander began to walk slowly along the path that led around the house, "Tom still falls from the roof, not sure why, 'cos for a second after you told him, it looked like you were gonna get out of here, but then it changed back." Sean took a breath "We can still stop it though. You just have to stick close to him, make sure he doesn't perform any death defying stunts, that sort of thing."

"So where is he now?" Buffy asked, tucking her hair behind her ears to stop it blowing in the wind.

Sean glanced down at Gizmo and tapped a few keys, "Uh, coach house at the bottom of the really long garden" Sean pointed as they round a corner of the house where a few buildings appeared in the distance. "He'll be there for another twenty minutes or so yet."

Xander shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. "So," he stopped walking and looked at Sean questioningly, "What's this other thing you've found?"

"We found a glitch" Sean informed them. "Not a big glitch. A really, really tiny one in fact. It was almost a nothing."

"And where, to you, that actually makes sense," Buffy stated, "To us it means diddly."

"Well, it might mean more, if we knew exactly what happened to you" Sean replied patiently. "As far as we're concerned at QL2, you leapt in last night; Xander found himself in the study and exchanged a few words with Harry's grandfather before heading to bed, and Buffy was in Maggie's room under lock and key, well until she jimmied the lock anyway. The only thing that we could find out of sorts was the fact that you were in deep; that you couldn't hear or see me." He shrugged. "Until this morning anyway."

"It was this morning that we thought had already happened" Xander explained. "Buffy told you yeah? About my trip down the stairs?"

Sean nodded. "What I don't get, is what happened afterwards."

"We both woke up again" Buffy began to recall. "It felt weird at first. It was like you knew something bad had happened-"

"You just weren't sure what it was" Xander continued, "And then suddenly *wham*, it hits you." He sighed, frowning a little at the memory. "Well it hit me like that anyway. I remembered everything so quickly…" Xander ran a hand through his hair, "And then I ran across Tom again in the kitchen. It was the same as before, except this time I told him not to go on the roof."

"We went up to the study" Buffy went on, "To try and see if we could get hold of you, but instead, I ran into this Kate woman. We'd both seen her before. I'd seen her just before my run in with Dr Greenburg and Xander saw her in the morning after he woke up from dying" Buffy paused. "And she knew our names. Our *real* names"

"And then what?" Sean asked, sensing a little reluctance from both Buffy and Xander to continue. "Did she say anything?"

"She was… well," Buffy glanced at Xander before looking back to Sean. "She wasn't exactly trying to be our friend, but she didn't do anything to harm us either." Buffy said, "Not really, I guess. She said she made us dream all that stuff about Xander dying, that it was to help us. She could take us to different places too, like out of the house"

"She wanted me to talk about stuff," Xander said. "She knew about our pasts, used that to get me talking, irritated enough so I'd just get it out."

Buffy caught Xander's eye. "Same here."

"Stuff?" Sean looked between the other two, "What kind of stuff?"

"Personal" both Buffy and Xander said together.

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Personal, huh? OK, so then what?"

"I think," Buffy said slowly, "That she must have sent us back… once she'd gotten out of us what she wanted,"

"Then we woke up… again" Xander finished, "And there you were."

Sean nodded slowly, trying to take it all in, "You said," he began after a moment, "That she said the dream was to help you? How was it supposed to help you?"

"She said we'd already saved Tom, by Xander telling him not to go on the roof" Buffy explained. "We were supposed to leap straight out… so she said anyway" Buffy finished with a murmur.

"Then that might explain the glitch" Sean stated. "We picked something up on the system" he went on to explain, seeing Buffy and Xander's puzzled looks. "You know, I told you that to send you back, we had to find the exact *exact* moment that you came from?" There was a nod from the other two and Sean continued, "Well to do that our systems have to monitor, like, every *zilli*second, which by the way I'm sure is a word, but believe me Gooshie's explanation is a lot more complicated, anyway we picked up a fluctuation, a tiny zillisecond out of place." Sean took a breath. "It was about eight whole seconds before I got Xander's attention this morning. Right before you woke up. Both of you," he added. "You both woke up at the exact same time."

"So something did happen and we're not going insane?" Buffy asked, a little hope creeping into her voice.

"Something happened alright," Sean assured her. "I haven't a damn clue what, and neither do the tech guys, but for a zillisecond, you weren't here, weren't anywhere we could track you to anyway." Sean paused. "As for this Kate…"

"You don't know" Xander guessed when Sean trailed off. Xander sighed, "Well, I guess we should be glad we're back to as normal as we can get to around here"

Sean just shrugged, "Welcome to the world of time travel." Sean then sighed when he saw the glum expressions on their faces. "Hey, but I've got some news that might cheer you up, make you smile a bit at least." He grinned a little himself when Buffy and Xander suddenly looked interested. "Better, I guess. OK, I've got news from home. Your home, " Sean expanded, "Everyone says they're OK, they miss you both, but they're OK." Sean looked at Xander but nodded his head briefly to Buffy, "Her mom, says she hopes you're keeping her out of trouble." 

Xander turned to Buffy and grinned "I think we're keeping each other on the straight and narrow."

"And your girlfriend" Sean continued, "Who, by the way I find quite scary, says she hopes you're back soon, 'cos she misses her sex poodle"

Xander suddenly wondered if he had the word 'guilty' emblazoned across his forehead or anywhere else on his body that was visible //because it sure as hell feels like it//. "S-she does?"

"Of course she does" Buffy said quickly. Xander turned to her, but her expression was unreadable. "She loves you."

Xander blinked and by the time he'd opened his eyes, Buffy had shifted her gaze from his and was looking at something in the distance. Xander looked at her for a moment more and then turned back to Sean. "Um, yeah. Tell her, y'know the next time you get the chance, that I miss her too, yeah?"

Sean nodded, but then sensing the tension that had suddenly floated down and settled between the two leapers, he spoke again. "This is to do with that hearts and flowers moment before isn't it?" Sean saw Buffy shoot a quick look at Xander before looking away again and the influx of emotions that seemed to be crossing over Xander's face. "Oh yeah it is. You know what, I'm gonna go and see if I can, uh, find out who this Kate woman is. Maybe the tech guys have come across her before or something, I'll just let you two-" Sean broke off and cleared his throat and tapped a few keys on Gizmo. "I'll just go."

"Yeah, bye" Xander said distractedly as Sean dematerialised. He took a step towards Buffy and didn't hide the relief on his face wen she looked back at him. "Do you wanna start or shall I?"

When Buffy didn't seem to eager to speak, Xander sighed softly and began himself. "Buffy, I-I'm feeling things for you that I haven't felt in a long time. The good kind…" he trailed off, leaving the words he wished he had the courage to say out loud, inside his head. //The kind where I see you smile and I just want to kiss you and the ones where you're sad and I still want to kiss you, just to make it better… and the times when I wanna do a whole lot more than kiss you…//.

Buffy studied his face for a moment before speaking herself. "We've spent a lot of time together Xan." Buffy spoke quietly. "We've had some good times recently, some great… I guess you know huh?" she cleared her throat, "And I guess I realised some things about me and-and you." Buffy took a deep breath "I'm feeling things too Xan" she admitted, "All kinds of warm and fuzzy ones that are-are really very, well they're ones… I-I like. I like them a lot."

Xander smiled, "You do, I mean, you have?"

"You mean you didn't get that when I kissed you?" Buffy smiled back, "'Cos I've got to say that was pretty much one of the highlights, no actually make that the *only* highlight, of the wackiness that has just ensued."

Xander felt a blush creep us his neck and was about to smile more when he realised why earlier he had felt that guilt was written all over him.

Buffy saw the conflict that shrouded him. Guilt, shame, confusion, a whole gamut of emotions - all there for everyone to see on his face and there was nothing he could hide in his eyes.

And then there it was. That feeling inside Buffy like someone had just stolen the last of her triple chocolate fudge sundae and then smacked her hand with the spoon for daring to complain. //And that's just it. I shouldn't be complaining// she thought //He's not *mine* to lose//.

A small mirthless laugh came out through Buffy's lips. "You know, I'm surprised at myself," she said softly, hugging her arms across her chest, "'Cos I really should have been prepared for this."

Xander looked back at her, a little confused. "Prepared?"

"For something that I thought was good," Buffy replied ruefully, "Quickly going down the pan." She tried to shrug as nonchalantly as she could muster. "I thought… I thought that-that… maybe…" Buffy trailed off, her gaze searching in Xander's eyes for a glimmer of understanding. "Did you think maybe?"

"I did" Xander replied quietly. "I thought maybe a lot."

"But we can't." Buffy let those three words hang in the air for several long moments, wondering if she was insane to be hoping that something would be said in those moments, that there might be that maybe.

There wasn't. 

"I love Anya." 

"I know."

Xander felt like he was being torn somehow as he looked at Buffy and wished that this could be one of those times that he could kiss her to make it better. But he couldn't.

"I've already betrayed her," he said solemnly, "I don't want to keep being the guy who cheats on his girlfriend."

"I don't want you to be that guy either Xander" Buffy said, knowing that at least there was truth behind that. Because that was something else she could admit, that she was jealous of the relationship that Xander and Anya had; they *were* happy and she didn't want to spoil that.

"But I don't want to us to lose *us*, y'know, in the platonic sense" Xander continued earnestly. "Our friendship means everything to me, I-I can't lose that Buffy, I can't."

"You won't." Buffy replied just as earnestly. "Ever." She took a step closer to him. "Xander, we're adult and we can work through this, OK? It's not like it was anything, y'know, huge, it's just gonna-"

"Be awkward for a while?" Xander smiled a little.

"Oh yeah" Buffy agreed with a small smile of her own. 

They stood in silence for a little while before Buffy spoke again "So do we, like, shake hands now or something?"

"I think friends can hug" Xander replied and he sighed softly when Buffy seemed to agree and wrapped her arms around him. "See?" he said softly, holding her gently.

Buffy sighed too. "It's never easy is it?" she remarked, stepping back from him after a moment.

"And what would be the fun it that?" Xander said drolly. "Come on, let's take our awkwardness over to that coach house and save the poor kid's ass."

"Sounds like a plan." Buffy began to walk with Xander over towards the buildings they'd seen earlier in the distance. It was only a short while later she turned her head up to him and gave him a curious look. 

Xander looked back at her. "What?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Sex poodle?"

-------------------

Standing not quite thirty yards away, obscured by a large tree trunk and some shrubbery, stood a tall woman dressed in black with long red hair that hung down her back in a thick plait. She had a small smile on her face.

Suddenly, beside her, there appeared a six-foot high and half metre wide portal, through which a man appeared. He coughed a couple of times as the portal disappeared behind him and the circled his head, stretching his neck muscles. "I hate that trip" he muttered. He looked at the two figures disappearing into the distance and then to the woman standing beside him. And then up again as she stood a foot taller than him.

"I don't know what you're smiling about" he said, "You ballsed the whole thing up. This ain't what I jumped you through dimensions to do."

"You said get them to admit their feelings" was the reply, "Which is what I did."

"They're supposed to be together. Did you not get that memo?"

"Since when do you send bloody memos about that kind of thing? And don't look at me like that, this is for the best. You want love right?" she gestured to the couple that were even further away now, "Then you can't rush it. Trust me."

The man snorted. "Says the woman dating a man twice her age."

The redhead shot annoyed look at her companion. "Hey! Am not. In fact I'll have you know I'm four times *his* age."

"And that's so much better because?"

"Oh shut up Whistler. Just 'cos you can't get laid." She ignored the glare she got. "Can I go home now? It's getting a bit nippy out here."

"We gotta wait a coupla secs for a window" Whistler replied, still sounding irked. "And what was with *Kate* anyway? You couldn't use your real name?"

"I thought it would be too cute."

"Cute?"

"I've awakened them to each other" the woman replied "If running into me wasn't a fortunate accident, I don't know what is."

-------------------

Sean hung back a little with Buffy as Xander went with Tom back into the coach house as the latter had begun to head out with a ladder as they'd appeared.

"You OK?" the hologram asked.

"I've been better" Buffy admitted with a sigh.

"This is gonna sound lame, I know" Sean said. "But it's probably for the best."

"Probably." Buffy knew she sounded melancholy. "But it was nice while it lasted" She watched Xander talking to Sean in the coach house doorway. "Maybe I enjoyed it too much."

"Why'd'ya say that?"

Buffy smiled wryly. "'Cos I got burned"

"I'm sorry" Sean told her. Suddenly 'Gizmo' bleeped, making Sean look down. He studied it for a moment before looking back at Buffy. "Looks like you two are outta here" he said, giving Buffy a small smile. "Tom begins to live a long life. Harry sorts out the family mess as much as he can and heads back to the city with Maggie in tow." Sean raised an eyebrow. "And Mrs Grantham has an affair with Dr Greenburg."

"They're welcome to each other" Buffy snorted. "So? See you on the other side?" Buffy saw Sean nod just as she and Xander were engulfed in a bright white light and Grantham House disappeared.

=====

tbc…

Read the next episode **_"For the Best"_**


	10. For the Best

****

The New Adventures of Buffy and Xander

Episode Ten: "For the Best"

Summary: Whilst trying to prevent a baby napping, Buffy and Xander discover that trying to deal with your feelings is tough when you have a job to do.  
**Disclaimer:** All BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, UPN et al and the Quantum Leap stuff belongs to Bellasarius Productions.  
**X-Over:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Quantum Leap  
**Episode Rating:** PG15 (Language).  
**Spoilers:** None for this episode.  
**Author's Notes: 1.** Series set after 'Crush' but before 'IWMTLY'. **2.** Having decided that the Key didn't match any of her outfits, Glory gave it up and became and became editor of her own fashion magazine. **3.** British spelling. *_*'s indicate word emphasis and //_//'s indicate direct character thoughts.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been two weeks since the leap from the Grantham House. In that time, Buffy and Xander had completed another three leaps and they'd been in their current hosts for a little over a day now.

The first leap after the Grantham House Experience as both Buffy and Xander had dubbed it, was a relatively simple one; save the damsel in distress. Or in other words, stop the wife of a rich banker getting kidnapped by leaping into the couple's children. It was 1994 and again Buffy and Xander got to play siblings and fortunately it was a straightforward money exchange and nothing like their second leap which was a set up that almost got Xander killed.

The next leap had Xander leapt into a High School track team member and Buffy into a cheerleader in the early Summer of 1992. They both had to convince the star athlete of the track team to quit taking steroids. Which they did and according to Sean the guy went on to great things.

The third leap had Xander and Buffy as siblings once more and had the tricky task of trying to get their already separated parents back together. Which they did. Well, Sean had said they'd sown the seeds for reunification, so they'd leapt on here.

And here was Miami, or at least the very outskirts and in a very downtrodden neighbourhood. It was August 1983, ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and humid as hell.

And the air conditioning was broken. And the electric fan had just stopped working.

Buffy shifted the small weight in her arms and pushed back damp strands of hair off her face before walking over to the broken appliance on the kitchen table and used the universal method of repair by smacking the thing on the side.

"Stupid Goddamn piece of crap," she grumbled when it failed to start again. Buffy switched the fan off at the wall and then looked outside. "It's gotta be cooler in that shade than in the house," she mused, checking out the two metre squared area of shade of the small cemented patio that lay just outside the back of the house.

Buffy padded barefoot over the yellow and white checked linoleum towards the kitchen door and brushed back the beads that hung down in the open doorframe. She swore inwardly when her feet made contact with the baked cement and she gingerly made her way to the cooler spot in the corner of the garden. The tall fence behind her provided the shade as she sat down in the solitary rusted garden chair.

Buffy sighed and used one hand to wipe hair from her forehead again. //OK, so not a lot better// she thought, //But better than that oven inside.// Buffy sighed again and closed her eyes. //It's just too hot to do anything//. "I bet Xander's air conditioning is working."

She hadn't seen Xander since they'd both leapt; the only contact she'd had was via Sean. Apparently this leap might not even call for them to even see each other until the end. 

//But then, I'm thinking that might be a good thing//.

To say that the last two weeks had been awkward would be an understatement.

//Painful, would be a more appropriate word// Buffy thought //At least for me anyway//.

It was like somebody had told you not to think of the colour red and then suddenly that was all you could think about.

Except in this case, Buffy wasn't supposed to be thinking about Xander and, more specifically, what it would be like to kiss him again. What it would be like to have the feel of his lips against hers once more as his hands…

"Oh for God's sake, stop it," Buffy berated herself. //Just keep thinking about this leap and how it brings you closer to getting back home//.

A sudden gurgling sound from a few inches below her broke Buffy out of her reverie. "Hey." Buffy looked down. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

The tiny, pink, cotton wrapped bundle in her arms merely gurgled again as it stared back up at her.

Buffy smiled. "OK. Looks like we'll have to try a different approach." She looked expectantly at the six-week-old baby girl in her arms. "Got any ideas?"

Then Buffy heard the slamming of a door inside the house and was quickly followed by a bellowed, "Susie!"

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed. "Great." Buffy got up, grimacing at the feel of her clammy bare legs against the metal chair and how damp her clothes, only a pair of shorts and a cotton vest top, felt against her skin as she made her way back inside.

She entered the kitchen to see a burly, bearded man in his early forties and dressed in overalls that were covered in dirt and grease, looking around at the kitchen. Most notably at the dirty dishes that spilled out from the sink and onto the Formica work stop. 

Buffy forced a smile onto her face as he neared. "Hey, dad."

Graham Fredericks ignored the greeting. "I thought you were going to clean up in here?" he stated accusingly as he pointed back inside to the sitting room. "And I saw that pile of laundry still sitting where it was this morning."

"The laundry's done, OK?" she replied patiently. "I just didn't have the energy to take it upstairs, that's all." Buffy looked at him tiredly. "I was gonna start on the dishes when Lucy started crying again." Buffy started to move past Susie's father. "I'm sorry, OK? I'll do them later. But right now, I'm taking Lucy upstairs to see if she'll get back to sleep."

"What about dinner?" he called after her as she began to make her way into the hallway. "It's your turn."

"I'm not hungry," Buffy called back as she got to the foot of the staircase. "Just fix something for yourself."

Buffy heard him mutter something as she began to climb the stairs, but she didn't hear quite what. She wasn't really bothered. Buffy looked down at Lucy. "Just be real good for Buffy, OK?" she said softly. "She's real tired and she needs a bath."

Lucy just looked back up at her and gurgled again.

"Was that a yes?" Buffy nudged a finger against one of Lucy's palms and tiny fingers curled around it. "Do you even know I'm not your mom?" she then asked, remembering what Sean had told her about some young children being able to see who they really were.

Lucy just blinked.

"Maybe you're too little," Buffy wondered. "But anyway, your mommy's OK and she'll be back soon." Buffy placed a gentle kiss on top of Lucy's brow. "I promise."

Buffy got to the top of the stairs and headed into Susie's bedroom. She settled Lucy in the small crib that was set up next to the Susie's smallish double bed that sat in the centre of the room. Pulling back the thicker covers out of the way, she then prised her finger from Lucy's and sat back on Susie's bed. Buffy rested her forearms on the rail of the crib and looked down at the tiny little girl who was seemed quite happy as she lay on her back and made the occasional grab at thin air with her hands.

"Meanwhile," Buffy quietly continued her words from earlier, "You get someone, who, by the way," she added, "Has never had any childcare experience in her life, to look after you so that some nasty person doesn't take you away."

Buffy reached into the crib and brushed her fingers over the soft tuft of brown hair on Lucy's head. "And she has to do that without constantly thinking about cute, funny guys called Xander." Buffy sighed and rested her arm back on the rail of the crib. "I wonder which one's going to be the tougher job?"

-------------------

//And could I feel more uncomfortable?// Xander asked himself as he felt obliged to maintain the silence at the dining table he was seated at.

He prodded disinterestedly at the food on his plate with his fork and then glanced up at the other people that shared the table with him. The man who sat at the far end of the table to the left caught his eye and gave Xander an odd look before turning his attention back to his meal. The woman who was seated at the end of the table to his right had just finished knocking back her third glass of wine for that evening and was now signalling to the grey haired man (who was apparently the butler) who was hovering patiently in by the sideboard in the grandly decorated dining room.

Xander watched, as even the task of refilling a wineglass seemed to happen in silence. He gave a small shake of his head and dropped his gaze back to his plate again, spearing a piece of sirloin with his fork and then popping it into his mouth.

//Awkwardness aside// he thought as he slowly chewed on his food, //I wish Buffy was here… just so I had someone to talk to//. Xander put speared another piece of steak. //Of course even then all I'd be thinking about during the talking would be holding in my arms, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, feeling her lips-//

"Oliver, would you *please* pay attention."

It took Xander a couple of seconds before he realised that the comment was directed at him. His gaze snapped up to the woman on his right. She had an impatient look aimed at him, and Xander thought it seemed so at home there, it was probably used on Oliver a lot.

Oliver Carson was the sixteen-year-old boy's that Xander had leapt into. He was about Xander's height with sandy, blond hair that was cropped close to his head, green eyes and a reasonably attractive face that was marred only by a few zits.

The woman who had spoken to him was Oliver's mother, Jocelyn Carson. She was an attractive, but stony faced woman in her late thirties with green eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. The man at the other end of the table was Oliver's father, Thomas Carson. He looked to be on his late fifties, with brown eyes and short dark hair that was greying at the temples.

There was also a Tristan Carson, Oliver's older brother by five years. He was due back from a trip to New York the next day.

He was also the father of Susie's baby.

And mom and dad were not happy about it.

"Oliver, if you're not hungry-" Jocelyn sounded as impatient as she looked, "-you could at least excuse yourself from the table."

Xander managed to give her an apologetic smile. "Sorry mom."

"So are you going to finish it or not?" It was Mr Carson's turn to speak.

Xander set his fork down and shook his head. "It's too hot to eat." It was a lie, but he wasn't bothered about skipping a meal. He knew for a fact that Oliver's parents were just waiting until he left so that they could start talking about Tristan. According to Mr Carson, the whole situation was too complicated to concern Oliver.

Xander pushed himself back from the table. "Maybe I'll see you later this evening, yeah?" He directed a look at both parents as he got up. He received only the barest acknowledgement. Xander sighed as he made his was to the door. //It's like being back with my parents. Only with less shouting//.

Once out of the dining room, Xander made his way down the equally as grand hallway and then ducked around a corner. He only had to wait another twenty seconds before he heard the door opening again.

"OK, Sean?" Xander spoke to thin air. "I think you're on any time now."

"Y'know, I can't see-" Sean started to speak as soon as he appeared before Xander "-why you can't just go and put your ear to the door."

"Because unlike you, Sean," Xander replied, "I'm not invisible to other people." Xander's thoughts then drifted back to Buffy for a few seconds //Not any more anyway//. Xander sighed as he leant back against the wall behind him. "Plus," he continued, his attention back, "You'll hear stuff a lot clearer than I will."

Sean sighed. "I know, I know." Then he shot a look at Xander. "And what are you gonna do, huh? Go check out the pool I suppose."

Xander pulled a face. "Actually, no. I was going to take a snoop around the place. See if I can't find something out." He paused. "And I was thinking I might call Buffy."

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He didn't sound too convinced.

Xander decided to ignore him for the moment. "Yeah, I mean she's only a couple of miles away, but it'd still be nice to hear her voice."

"Because you two have spoken so much lately?" Sean didn't try and hide the sarcasm.

Xander sighed. "It's… it's difficult."

"Only because you're making it so," Sean replied. "Why don't you-"

"Shush." Xander held a hand up to when he heard a door opening. Xander peered around the edge of the wall and saw the butler (who had also said barely two words to Xander) leave the dining room and then turn left, heading down another hallway. 

Xander waited a little while longer and when satisfied that Oliver's parents were staying in there, he looked back to Sean. "Well, go on then. Do your eavesdropping thing."

Sean sighed and shook his head before punching a few keys on Gizmo and dematerialising infront of Xander.

Xander waited another couple of moments before he continued down the hallway and found himself in the main lobby. He looked at the marble columns that stood either side of the large, front door and then up at the high ceilings on which he had half expected to find frescos painted. There weren't, but that was the general atmosphere in the house. 

//Scratch that. *Mansion*. This place is bigger than Doug and Rosa's place// Xander reflected as he climbed the sweeping grand staircase up to the next floor. //But at least that place felt like somebody's home…// Xander cast a look around as he ascended. //This place just feels cold//. Xander took hold of the front of his shirt and flapped it a few times to get some air against his skin when he reached the top of the staircase. //Even in this heat…//. He started across the landing. //Maybe the pool doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all…//.

-------------------

__

(An hour later)

Buffy slowly made her way downstairs. It was still humid, even this late in the day and she'd just managed to grab a quick shower, so she really didn't want to get anymore sweat on her than she had to. She'd wanted a bath, but it had taken her longer to get Lucy back to sleep than she thought and she still needed to clear up downstairs.

However, upon entering, Buffy found herself looking at a spotless kitchen. The dishes had been washed and cleared away, the counters had also been cleared and cleaned and the fan was back on the kitchen table in full working order.

"I made you a sandwich. It's in the refrigerator."

Buffy turned around to see Susie's father standing in the doorway that led to the hallway. He'd changed from his overalls into a pair of clean pair of jeans and t-shirt that Buffy had remembered being in the laundry basket. He'd also had a wash, but Buffy hadn't heard him come upstairs, so she figured he'd used the sink down here.

"Uh, thanks," Buffy replied, honestly surprised. She glanced back to the drainer and then back to Susie's father. "You didn't have to… I mean, I was going to-"

"I know." He gave her a brief smile before nodding his head to the refrigerator. "You'd better eat. If you're gonna look after a kid, then you have to look after yourself." Graham then shuffled back into the hallway. "Can't expect me to keep doing it."

Buffy decided not to take his comment too much to heart as she'd detected the lack of conviction that came with it. Tucking her hair back behind her ears, she went over to the refrigerator and took out the sandwich, revelling in the blast of cold air she got before she reluctantly had to close the door. Buffy sat herself down at the kitchen table and took a bite of the sandwich, now actually feeling hungry despite saying she wasn't earlier.

The gentle breeze of the fan cooled her skin as she continued to eat. She looked up and out of the small kitchen window and out at the garden. //I bet that lucky bastard Xander's having more than just a sandwich//. Then she mentally berated herself. //Of course he's still getting his share of the work. I get to play babysitter and he gets to snoop around the big ol' house and look for clues as to why Mom and Pop Carson want to take Susie's baby//.

Buffy sighed. "Poor kid," she whispered softly to herself. "They've got no right to take her away." She put the last piece of sandwich in her mouth and got up, taking the plate over to the sink and rinsing it under the tap. "She's too darn cute for one thing."

//And aren't I just getting the tiniest bit attached?// Buffy smiled as she dried the plate and then put it away. //Never thought I'd be the 'mom' type//. Buffy's smile faded a little. //Scratch that. Never thought I'd *get* to be a mom//. Buffy sighed again as she sat back down at the table. //Life of a Slayer and all that… and now this…// Buffy glanced around the strange kitchen and then her eyes came to rest on the calendar hanging by the kitchen door. //I think my life might just be complicated enough at the moment//.

-------------------

"Ookaay." The word came out as sigh from Xander. "If I was a piece of incriminating evidence…" Xander's gaze began to roam Mr Carson's study, "… where would I be…?"

Xander made sure the door was closed behind him then went to sit behind the desk. He picked up each individual document that had been left lying on top of the desk and scoured them for anything that might give a hint towards the Carson's dealings with a private adoption agency.

//Or look under 'Black market Adoptions' in your phone directory// Xander added grimly as he picked up a folder marked 'Confidential'. He pulled out the contents and sat back in the high-backed, leather chair. //Why couldn't they just let Susie bring up the kid?// Xander mused quietly to himself as he began to read. //She wasn't asking anything of Tristan//.

Finding nothing in the papers, Xander returned the folder to it's spot. "More like they didn't want anyone coming back to make a claim on their millions," Xander guessed, opening one of the drawers on his left. "I mean who wouldn't want to come into this warm and loving family?" Xander laced his words with sarcasm as his rummage around the sparse contents of the drawer turned out to be in vain.

"Except of course if you're Tristan," Xander mumbled as he started on the second drawer. "And mom and dad apparently think the sun shines out of your ass and uh huh could be something here." He pulled out a black, hardbacked diary. "And it's this years." Xander sank back in to the chair again and began flipping through the pages. After a couple of minutes he realised that this search it would take him a lot longer to go through than he probably had time for right now. Dropping the diary on the desk to take back with him, Xander looked at the number he had scribbled on the inside of his palm that Sean had given him earlier. Susie's number. Or moreover, Buffy's number.

Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip for a moment, it took Xander a couple of hesitant attempts before he picked up the receiver and cradled it between his shoulder and ear as he dialled.

-------------------

"*Susie*"

Buffy started when she felt someone grab her shoulder. There was a slight stinging pain in her cheek as her skin peeled away from the plastic coating on the tabletop.

"Wha'?" Buffy rubbed at her cheek. //I can't believe I fell asleep at the table//.

Susie's father looked passively down at her. "Phone call. Some guy says you've won a competition or something."

Buffy pushed her hair back behind her ears. "Huh?" she yawned as she got up. "Competition?"

Mr Fredericks just shrugged. "I wouldn't have woken you, but y'never know, there might be money in it." He walked back out into the hallway. "QL2 sounds kinda classy."

"Oh yeah. I remember that." Buffy fought back a smile as she followed Graham. "You had to name something in so many words."

Mr Fredericks turned to her as she picked up the receiver he'd left laying down on the hall table. "If there's money, take it." 

Buffy smiled and gave a shake of her head as he walked back into the sitting room. She trailed the phone cord through the banister and then sat herself about halfway up the stairs, her back against the thankfully cool wall. "OK, so what's my prize?" 

There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line. Vampire free week on the Hellmouth?

"Make it a month and you've sold me." Buffy glanced down at the hallway just to make sure Susie's dad wasn't in earshot. "Found anything yet?"

I got a diary. Might be something in it. Haven't had a chance to look through it yet. Xander paused. Everything OK your end?

"Actually it's been fine," Buffy replied. "No major tantrums or anything."

And the baby?

"Can your hear me sticking my tongue out at you?" Buffy then smiled when she heard Xander laugh. That particular sound had been few and far between in the last two weeks. "Y'know," she continued, "-it's weird having to talk to you on the phone like this. We're gonna have to try as find a way to meet."

Well, Oliver's parents don't seem to be too bothered about tracking his movements. I'll ask Sean. Maybe he can suggest somewhere. Xander paused. Of course we'll have to bring along a big ol' knife to cut the tension.

Buffy smiled ruefully. "You don't think we can stretch to a couple of hours?"

Without resorting to small talk? Eh, well we are mature, responsible adults, I guess.

"Mature and responsible? Xan, I don't know about meeting you if you're delusional."

Ha. Xander paused. But, seriously Buff? I would like to see you. 

"Xan," Buffy sighed, "I just wish I didn't feel… //like I have a gaping hole 'cos I'm too much of a coward to say I wouldn't mind illicit smoochies with you// … like we have to make small talk."

This weirdness is gonna go, OK? It's… it's just a-a thing. In a few weeks we're gonna be wondering what the hell we made all the fuss about... OK?

Buffy began picking at the hem of her shorts. "I guess."

Look… I'll talk to Sean about tomorrow. He should be back soon anyway.

"'kay." Buffy closed her eyes and let her head settle back against the wall. "I miss you, Xander."

I miss you too, Buffy.

Buffy allowed herself a small smile. "Look, I'd better go. I should check on Lucy anyway."

"Tell her I said 'Hi'."

"Will do." She sighed. "Bye Xan."

"Bye Buff."

Buffy waited for the soft click on the other end of the line before she dropped the receiver into her lap. She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Too much of a coward."

-------------------

"Just a thing? And didn't that just sound *so* convincing?" Xander let his head drop onto the desk as after he'd ended the phone call with Buffy. Her words echoed in his brain //"I just wish I didn't feel like we have to make small talk." //

"Me too, Buffy," he mumbled to himself. //Why can't it be like the way it was? Just us hanging out, having fun… just friends//. He sighed heavily. //Without all that 'Maybe' crap thrown in//.

Xander clasped both his hands across the back of his head. "Buffy," he muttered, "Why can't I just get you out of my head?"

"You called her didn't you?"

Xander didn't look up. "Sean, if you're about to impart some pearls of wisdom, can you just not?"

"Fine. So, do you wanna just brood or listen to what I found out?"

Xander raised his head a little so he could look at Sean. "I can't do both?" Xander sighed and sat upright when Sean just looked at him. "OK, so what did they have to say?"

"It was mostly Mrs Carson bitching about how Tristan's life was going to be ruined because of, and I quote, 'downmarket, gold digging little tramp.' Mr Carson just let her get on with it, but I still thinks they are both mightily pissed off about it. Mr Carson is still threatening to pull back Tristan's trustfund if the guy so much as goes to see the kid."

"Nothing mentioned about them snatching Lucy?"

Sean shook his head. "Just references to, and I quote again, 'getting it dealt with.' No names." Sean looked expectantly at Xander. "You?"

Xander got up, taking the diary, as he moved from behind the desk. "I haven't looked through this yet," Xander held up the black book to Sean. "Figured I'd do that now."

Sean glanced down at Gizmo as it beeped. "Well, you'd better take it to Oliver's room. It looks like Mr Carson is headed back here."

"Sure." Xander nodded once in acknowledgement and started for the door. 

Sean frowned as he watched him leave; he saw the despondent sagging in Xander's shoulders. He shook his head. "Of course," he stated softly when Xander was just out of earshot, "My pearls of wisdom would be, is to tell you that I think you're both idiots… and that you're probably made for each other."

-------------------

__

(Next morning)

Xander was quite happily asleep; one arm was casually flung across the bed whilst the other was tucked underneath the more than comfy pillow that he had his face buried in. He stirred slightly when he felt the bare skin on his back grow warm. Xander opened his eyes and blinked blearily at the sunlight just beginning to stream in through the window. He was about to close his eyes and go straight back to sleep when he heard a movement from across the other side of the room. Xander tensed and turned his head slowly to the source of the noise.

What he saw was another guy in blue jeans and a faded black t-shirt sitting in the recliner in the corner of the room. He had shortish, slightly curly blond hair and looked very much like Oliver probably would at twenty-one.

The guy was also skimming through the diary that Xander had taken from Mr Carson's desk drawer.

//Shit// was Xander's first though of the day.

The other guy then noticed he was awake and looked up from his reading and towards Xander. "Y'know dad'll kill you if he thinks you've been snooping around his study don't you?"

"Tristan," Xander murmured as he pushed himself up from the bed. "Thought you weren't getting in 'til later."

Tristan got up; snapping the diary closed with one hand as he did so. "Y'know me, can't keep away from the old homestead." He stood infront of Xander as the latter swung his pyjama-clad legs over the side of the bed. "So, tell me Olly, what's it gonna take for me not to tell dad?"

//Shit// Xander groaned to himself again. //It's way too early in the morning for this//. Xander ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Tristan. "What d'ya want?"

Tristan just grinned and smacked Xander lightly on the head with the diary before heading over to the bedroom door. "Don't worry about it, squirt. I'll put it back. The old man'll never know."

Xander rubbed at his head and looked back at Tristan, a little taken aback. "Why?"

"To make up for the fact that I didn't get you anything in New York," Tristan replied, opening the door. "Go back to sleep. I'll tell mom and dad you weren't up yet." He grinned again. "They're used to that anyway."

"kay." Xander blinked as Tristan left. "Well, that could've been worse," he said to himself a moment later. "He actually seems OK." Xander paused. "Apart from the whole abandoning Susie and her baby thing." He yawned then and stretched. "Hey, Sean?"

"Yes?"

Xander blinked at the sudden appearance of the hologram, who looked about as half asleep as Xander. "That was quick."

"A half naked cute guy by a bed always usually makes me com-"

"You just do that to annoy me now, don't you?" Xander cut him off, shooting a tired look at Sean that might just have been ever so slightly amused as well.

"Pretty much," Sean replied with a shrug. "It's not nearly as much fun if I don't get a rise out of you."

"You're not getting any kind of rise out of me," Xander shot back before yawning again.

"Not even a little one?" Sean pouted exaggeratedly.

Xander rolled his eyes. "No," he replied as he stood up, then continuing in an all too put upon distracted tone with, "And it's not little."

Sean smirked silently and raised an eyebrow. "Can I check?"

Xander raised an eyebrow back at him. "Do you wanna know what I found in the diary?

"You didn't get me all the way down here to trade barbs?"

"Strangely enough, no," Xander replied with a hint of a smile. "And the answer to my question was 'nothing'."

Sean frowned. "There wasn't anything?"

Xander shook his head. "Nothing I could link up to what we already have… which is not a lot."

"This isn't good. We need something that we can use to prove their involvement. I know Buffy's got Lucy under close watch, we need to stop it before it even gets to that stage."

"We've got another two days, haven't we?"

Sean nodded then glanced down at Gizmo. "Oh. Apparently we could try the safe in their bedroom." Sean looked back up at Xander. "They're going to run off a list of the most likely combinations."

"How long is that going to take?"

There were a few more beeping sounds from Gizmo. "Maybe a few hours," Sean replied. "I'd go have breakfast with the folks in the meantime. You might be able to pick something up."

"Fine." Xander headed towards en-suite bathroom. "Maybe now that Tristan's back, they might be a tad more open."

"Let's hope so," Sean replied. He paused. "Need a hand in there?" he asked as the bathroom door closed behind Xander.

"Go and annoy Buffy," was the muffled reply.

-------------------

"Sean, why are you here exactly?" Buffy tried not to sound impatient as she tried to put the small cloth diaper on a crying Lucy. "I'm kinda busy and not with the interesting news, except that I've found out that a six week old's lung capacity far exceeds my own."

"Xander's busy. He said to go and annoy you."

"Great," Buffy muttered as she continued to try and change Lucy. "Come on sweetie, stop crying for Auntie Buffy." Lucy ignored her. Buffy sighed exasperatedly as she let the ends of the cloth diaper fall to the sides of the changing mat on the kitchen table. "Busy doing what?"

Sean leaned over Lucy and waggled his fingers infront of her face. "If I told you that," Sean directed his words to Buffy as he continued to try and amuse Lucy, "Then you'd only end up imagining something you don't want to."

Buffy picked up the ends of the diaper again and Lucy's cries subsided, as she seemed distracted by Sean's face pulling. "Imagining what? 

"Him naked with water running and glistening all over his body."

"OK, I don't know what's weirder. You saying that in baby talk, or the fact that I'm too tired to imagine it." Buffy paused. "For long anyway." She finally managed to get Lucy's diaper done up. "See Lucy?" Buffy smiled as she picked the little girl up. "Auntie Buffy can cope."

Lucy started crying again the moment Buffy cradled her in her arms. "Se-an," Buffy whined, shooting an imploring look at the hologram. "Make her stop again."

"I thought I was annoying 'Auntie Buffy'," Sean replied, sticking his tongue out at Lucy.

"Yeah, but Lucy likes you so it's all evened out. See?" Buffy cooed at Lucy. "Uncle Sean's gonna make it all better, he's gonna look after you, yes he is."

Sean just looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You remember that I'm a hologram projected through your brainwaves and not a glorified babysitter?"

Buffy continued in baby talk, speaking to Sean but directing it at Lucy. "OK, if Uncle Sean wants to do his proper job, then maybe he can tell me if he's found out anything new."

Sean pulled another face at Lucy. "There's nothing new." He smiled sadly at the baby. "Sorry kid."

Buffy sighed. "Damn."

"Xander's still gonna keep snooping. Tristan's back now, so hopefully we can get something out of that."

"Did Xander ask you about the both of us getting out to meet?" Buffy asked. "Despite the awkwardness, I still wanna see him."

"I think we should wait to see what Xander finds out first," Sean replied. "And you still have to be careful about taking Lucy outside."

"Sean, I'm hardly gonna leave her on a bench with a sign saying 'free to good home'."

Sean grinned. "Just checking." 

Buffy rolled her eyes then looked back at Lucy. "Y'know I think she really likes you," Buffy said quietly as Lucy seemed to be quietening down again. Buffy moved Lucy so she was holding her against her chest with one arm as she used the other to clear away all the changing paraphernalia from the table. "Ever think about switching jobs?"

"QL2 pays more," Sean told her with a smile. Then he shrugged. "And I get to look after my sister's kids for free, so it kinda evens out."

Buffy turned to him as she ran water into the sink. "You have a sister?"

Sean nodded. "Caroline. Lives out in Dallas with her husband and their two little boys… what?" he said when he saw Buffy smiling oddly at him.

"Sorry," Buffy said as she turned off the faucet and began to put the dirty breakfast dishes into the water. "It's just a little weird thinking of you having this other life outside the project."

"Well, it's not much of one, admittedly," Sean answered. "I'm on call twenty four seven. Not much point getting the money if I can't spend it."

"Bummer." Buffy said quietly, so as not to disturb the now quietly gurgling Lucy. "Hey. Maybe you could put it on one of those high yield savings things. You could retire and open up your own day-care centre then."

"Maybe after the world cruise," Sean replied as he followed Buffy into the sitting room. "Y'know, I wonder how much your Slayer gig would pay if you went on the open market?"

"Well, first of all it's not a 'gig'," Buffy informed him as she sat down with Lucy in one of the easy chairs. "It's my destiny." Buffy ran a hand through her hair and then looked thoughtfully at Sean. "How much would you think I could earn?"

"Depends." Sean shrugged. "You could get per demon or charge a standard fee per night."

"Or I could charge per *type* of demon, y'know, like, a hundred bucks for a vamp and say, five hundred for something with spikes or horns or more than one head. If it's an apocalypse, then I'm charging a million. Plus expenses."

Sean just grinned and Buffy smiled back. "Do you get *any* perks?" he asked as Buffy cradled Lucy in her arms again.

"We save the world," Buffy said simply as Lucy grabbed hold of one of her fingers. "What more do you want?"

-------------------

"Well that was a great help," Xander muttered to himself as he trudged up the grand staircase. He'd just sat through a family breakfast in the hope that now Tristan was back, more information about Susie and the baby would be volunteered. Unfortunately, he was out of luck. Oliver's parents did their damnedest to ignore him as they listened with rapt attention as Tristan described his vacation. In fact the only one that did talk to him was Tristan, who actually kept trying to include 'Oliver' in the conversation, but when Xander did respond he just got talked over by either Jocelyn or Thomas.

It was quite obvious to anyone who was at that meal this morning that Tristan was the favourite child. Apparently not even the fact that he'd fathered a child that belonged to a girl they despised could affect his parents' opinion of him and it was enough that they were apparently prepared to rectify the situation by any means possible.

As Xander reached the top of the staircase, he came to the conclusion that, right now, it didn't matter about Oliver's relationship with his parents. It wasn't gong to be in his best interests to push them, and if they weren't paying him any attention anyway, it would be easier to snoop around the house without having to worry about them looking over his shoulder. It was Xander's decision to try and play on Oliver's relationship with Tristan. Xander had already seen that morning that Tristan seemed to have a soft spot for his little brother, and that maybe Xander could try and subtly slide in a few well placed questions about Susie and the baby in the hope that Tristan might let something slip.

As Mr and Mrs Carson were entertaining some friends of theirs that had dropped and had told 'Oliver' to go and amuse himself, Xander had decided to do exactly that. As Tristan was in his room unpacking and then planned to go out to meet some friends, Xander was going to take another snoop around Mr Carson's study. He hadn't had a chance to finish reading through the diary he'd taken the previous night and he still hoped he could find something that would stop Susie losing Lucy.

Sean had just buzzed in and told him that he thought it would be better if they could find something that would give them a lead on the planned abduction before Buffy should take Lucy out anywhere. Even with Buffy and Xander there, and with the knowledge they had, it could still go pear-shaped. 

Sean told him that, originally, Susie had been out in the park with Lucy when she'd been purposely distracted - enough so that someone could get away with the baby. The police duly followed up all the leads they had but when Lucy was found, she wasn't 'Lucy' anymore - she was a Carolyn Marlow and there were papers to prove it. Adoption and legal papers that Susie *and* Tristan had apparently signed. A desperate Susie had gone to Court but her lawyers couldn't prove that she hadn't signed them. Susie, deeply despaired about her loss, sunk into a depression and a couple of months later she was found by her father after she'd taken a fatal overdose.

At least this time around, Buffy and Xander could try and stop the abduction that was to take place in a couple of days. But they also needed to have evidence that the Carson's were involved in case it happened again. Susie made claims they the Carson's were behind it all, saying that they were the only ones with any reason, money or connections to pull it off, but when the police investigated, there was no evidence to be found. When Xander had queried that maybe they hadn't, Sean informed him that the number of scenarios they'd run at QL2 all ended up pointing to Mr and Mrs Carson.

On approaching the study however, Xander discovered that the snooping he wanted to do, might have to be put on hold. There was a muffled voice coming from inside the study. Xander quietened his step as he made his way to the only slightly ajar door. Pressing his ear to the door, he recognised that the person speaking was Tristan.

As he listened further, it became evident that he was having a conversation with someone on the phone. Xander's brow crinkled a little. //Why is he using the phone in here? Nearly every room has one and if he was unpacking he could use the one in his//. Xander strained to make out the conversation, all he could pick up was that Tristan was just trying to get hold of someone who didn't seem to be there.

"No, I told you she doesn't know," Tristan was saying. "He's the only one that does… But it's nothing to do with my father's business … No, it's personal. He knows what it's about … Fine." Tristan sighed. "Can you just let him know that I called? … He has? Tell him I need to speak him." There was a long pause before Tristan spoke again. "Harold. I was just about to give up on you … No, I'm back home … No, they haven't said anything. It's creepy … I don't know. That's why I'm calling. I just wanted to check on how far you've got … I just need to speed this up, it's driving me nuts … You have?!" Tristan sounded pleased. "Harold-" Tristan laughed, "Yeah, don't you just know it … And it'll all be sorted and legal by the end of the week? … *Tomorrow*?" Tristan laughed again. "She's going to get the shock of her life … Thanks Harold. I'll call you again when it's all gone through."

Xander hung back from the door as Tristan ended the phone call. //Just exactly *who* is going to get the shock of her life?//. Xander frowned again and stepped to the side so he could peer through the gap in the door. Tristan was sitting back in the large leather chair behind the desk with a huge grin spread over his face. 

Xander's frown deepened. The possibility that Tristan could be involved with the abduction had come up, even though he had denied that he'd signed the papers, and Xander knew he shouldn't be too surprised to discover something that could confirm his involvement.

Taking a deep breath, Xander squared his shoulders and pushed open the door to the study. He satisfied himself with a smirk when Tristan visibly jumped.

"Shit, Olly-" Tristan put his hand on his chest and took a deep breath. "Christ, I'm too young to die of a heart attack."

"Ain't my fault if you're creeping around dad's study," Xander replied. "At least I made sure I wasn't making any noise. I could hear you halfway down the hall." 

The smile that had appeared on Tristan's face quickly fell and he narrowed his eyes at Xander. "You were listening?"

"Not really," Xander lied. "Who were you talking too?"

"No one." Tristan got up from behind the desk.

Xander could tell by the look on his face that Tristan knew 'Oliver' hadn't bought it, but Xander knew full well he couldn't use the 'I'll tell dad' ploy because of Tristan finding him with the diary. "Yeah, well, why couldn't you talk to 'no one' on your phone?" Xander asked as Tristan started to head past him. 

Tristan stopped and turned around to face Xander. "Olly, it's none of your business." 

Obviously the glowering look Tristan was shooting at him usually worked to make Oliver scamper away like a good little brother because the look changed to one of annoyance when Xander just levelled his gaze right back him. "Seems to be the story of my life in this house," Xander replied.

Tristan's look then changed from annoyed to something Xander couldn't quite make out. "I guess you'll find out soon anyway," Tristan said, hitting Xander lightly on the arm before then walking out of the study.

Xander watched him go with confusion. Tristan had sounded almost apologetic as he'd spoken his last words. He'd expected something a little bit more menacing if he'd just walked in on a conversation that he obviously wasn't supposed to hear. Xander ran a hand through his hair and hesitated for a moment before walking over to the desk. He picked up the phone and hit redial. 

"Johnson, Neal and Smith," a friendly female voice on the other end of he line answered after a couple of rings.

"Oh, sorry," Xander said. "Wrong number."

"Law firm?" Xander wondered to himself as he hung up. Then something on the desk caught his eyes. It was an address, laying open at a page of contact address and numbers. Sure enough, at the top of the list under 'J' was 'Johnson, Neal and Smith' and 'Harold' was scribbled underneath with a different number by the side of it.

"Sean?" Xander whispered skyward. "Sean, you about?"

Sean materialised infront of him; standing in the middle of the desk. "Just a sec," he said and then he was gone again.

Xander rolled his eyes at the now empty again space in front of him. He sat down and sank back into the large, leather chair. "Great," Xander muttered to himself. "I finally think I've found something and nobody wants to know."

"On the contrary," Sean replied, materialising in the desk again. "It was just that I just had to hear Buffy finish singing if not I would have regretted it forever."

Xander wasn't quite sure he'd heard him right. "Singing?"

Sean nodded, seemingly nonplussed. "'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to be exact."

"Singing?"

"Lucy seemed to like it."

"Si-"

"If you say 'singing' again, I will hit you… or possibly glare at you," Sean corrected himself when Xander pointedly waved a folder through his midriff. "Anyway, weren't you just muttering about finding something?"

"I just overheard a conversation Tristan had with someone called Harold who works for these guys." Xander pointed out the listing in the address book. "I think it might be a law firm." He looked back up a Sean. "Can you check it out?"

Sean tapped the info into Gizmo, waited for a couple of moments, and then looked back at Xander. "OK. It was a law firm here in Miami." Sean looked back down and began to read off the information. The practice broke up in nineteen ninety. It's also pretty certain that the Harold Tristan was talking to, was Harold Neal, a senior partner in the firm."

"Is there anyway we can find out if they had anything to do with putting those fake legal papers together?" Xander asked. "Get into their computer files or something?"

"We can try," Sean replied, tapping it in. "But, remember, it is nineteen eighty three. I seriously doubt their computer system is anything more expedient than a Vic20. That's if they have one at all."

"A Vic what?"

Sean stared back at Xander's 'Huh?' face and then closed his eyes and shook his head lightly. "I'm really getting old," he muttered to himself. Sean opened his eyes and looked back at Xander. "OK, so we're checking these guys out," he clarified. "So what exactly was Tristan saying?"

"He seemed to be finalising some kind of arrangement with this Harold guy. Something that'll be final at the end of the week." Xander paused. "He also said 'She'll get the shock of her life.'"

"And we're thinking Susie here… OK," Sean scratched at his chin. "I'll let Buffy know what we've got so far." He grinned. "Maybe I'll get back in time to hear her singing along to Sesame Street."

Xander grinned too. "At least she seems to be coping."

"Yeah, she is." Sean paused, looking at Xander for a moment before he sighed. "Go on. I'll let you tell her instead."

Xander hesitated. "You think that Harold guy is enough to go on?" 

"For now," Sean replied. "It could take a few hours and we're still trying to run off a list of combinations for the safe as well." Sean glanced around the room. "I don't think we're gonna find much else in here unless it wants to be found." He looked back at Xander who was now on his feet. "Take a couple of hours, OK? I heard Mom and Pop say they were going out this afternoon, so you can take that chance to snoop in their room."

"Fine," Xander agreed. He was halfway to the door when he looked back to the telephone on the desk. "Maybe I should call her first?" Xander looked back to Sean. "Y'know, just in case it's a bad time or something."

Sean sighed. "Xander, either you want to see her or you don't."

"I do. I just… just-" he broke off and looked at Sean hopefully. "You wanna play gooseberry just in case it gets too awkward?"

Sean just looked at him blankly. "Because that sounds like so much fun?" Sean then rolled his eyes. "Xander, just go already, OK? Go see your *friend*."

Xander acknowledged Sean's emphasis. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry," Xander said. "I'm being an idiot, I know."

Sean smiled wryly. "Yes, you are."

Xander looked at him oddly. "Uh… thanks?"

"Welcome." Sean replied ambiguously. "Have a nice time."

-------------------

__

(A short while later)

Buffy held Lucy against her with one arm while she used the other to quietly open the door to Susie's room. As she passed the mirror hanging on the closet door, she stopped to have a look at herself. Or moreover, at the reflection of the other woman who stood holding a sleeping baby girl.

Susie had a young looking, pretty, almost impish face that was framed by a mass of unruly loose dark brown curls. But she did look tired and Buffy had no doubt that the established bags under the young woman's were also underneath her own as well.

Buffy looked down at Lucy and smiled. "But you're worth them, right?"

Buffy walked over to the crib and eased Lucy gently down into it, pulling up just one of the covers around her. "OK," she said softly. "Auntie Buffy's just gonna finish cleaning up downstairs," Buffy reached down and brushed her fingers gently through the small tuft of fluffy hair on Lucy's head, "and then she'll be back up here to nap with you."

Buffy stepped back and grabbed a hairband off Susie's dressing table. She'd just tied her hair back in a ponytail, when she suddenly started at the sound of a knocking at the door. Buffy sighed and had just gotten as far as the bedroom door when Lucy started crying.

Just stopping short of stamping her foot in frustration, Buffy took Lucy back out of the crib and started rubbing soothing circles on the little girl's back as she took herself and Lucy out of the bedroom and started down the stairs.

There was another knock at the door just as Buffy reached the bottom of the stairs. "This had better be good," Buffy mumbled to herself as she pulled back the door, leaving the screen door closed.

"Hey."

Buffy blinked, even though it wasn't the last person she'd expected to see standing there. "Xan?"

Xander smiled and then looked at the still crying baby in her arms and then back to Buffy. "I knew I should have called first."

"I think that would have woken her too," Buffy said with a smile, opening the screen door and stepping aside to let him through.

"Oh sorry," Xander gave her an apologetic look as he passed her. "I didn't mean-"

"I know," Buffy cut him off. She closed the door behind him. "C'mon," Buffy nodded in the direction of the sitting room. "I know it's not exactly the place you are at the moment…"

"At least it looks like a home," Xander commented, glancing around. He looked back at Buffy and saw she was distracted trying to soothe Lucy. He noted she looked tired but didn't seem to be saddened by it. He smiled warmly at Buffy when she caught him studying her. "And you seem to be doing OK."

Buffy looked at the still crying Lucy and then back at Xander. "Ya think?" Buffy sighed. "She likes Sean. She goes to sleep for Sean." Buffy looked thoughtfully at Xander then back at Lucy. "You wanna see if you like Uncle Xander?"

"Uh… Buff, you sure about this?" Xander said dubiously as Buffy offered up Lucy for him to take.

"Xander, she won't bite," Buffy assured him with a smile as she helped adjust Lucy in his arms.

"Well, she's still crying," Xander pointed out as he gingerly cradled the little girl in his arms. "Maybe I should try 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'." He looked back at Buffy and grinned.

"Sean." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well you can try singing if you want," Buffy continued. "Personally, I'm beginning to think the little madam just wants feeding again. I've got some formula made up, I'll go get it."

Xander watched Buffy head off, presumably to the kitchen. He looked back down at Lucy and gently rocked her. "Hey, c'mon kid. We're trying our best here, OK?"

"Y'know, I've just realised something," Buffy said as she came back into the room. "You're here. That means you must have found something."

"Yeah," Xander replied, his tone becoming more serious. "We think Tristan maybe a little more involved than we thought. Sean's checking it out at the moment."

"So long as it's something," Buffy replied, looking at Lucy sadly.

"Yeah." Xander then looked at the bottle Buffy was holding out to him, then at Buffy, then back at the bottle. "You, uh, want me to-"

"Yes," Buffy replied with a smile. "Just because you're not snooping at the moment doesn't mean you can stop pulling your weight." Buffy smiled again when Xander took the bottle from her. "I'm gonna finish clearing up in the kitchen."

When she got into the hallway, Buffy stopped and peered back around the door. She smiled when she saw Xander attempting to get Lucy to feed. Buffy then grinned sheepishly when Xander caught her watching him. He held out the bottle towards her, as Lucy seemed reluctant to take it from him. Buffy sighed and headed over to him.

"I'll go tidy," Xander said as he handed Lucy and the bottle back to Buffy. "I don't think she likes me."

"Sure she does," Buffy replied, catching his eye. "I'm sure she's glad you're here."

Xander held Buffy's gaze for a moment. "Well, if you think so, I'm glad I came."

The corner of Buffy's mouth twitched into a smile then she gave him a mock stern look. "Now, go clean."

Xander matched her look and saluted her. "Pulling my weight sir."

Buffy laughed and they exchanged warm smiles before Xander headed off. Buffy watched him go, the smile still on her face and then she looked down at Lucy's scrunched pink face. "Well," Buffy said softly, "I think that went OK, don't you?"

In the hallway, Xander smiled to himself as he just over heard Buffy's words. //Yeah, I think it did Buff//.

-------------------

Outside, in a car parked on the opposite side of road from Susie's house, sat a young blonde man. A couple of empty cans of soda on the dashboard indicated a period of time sat stationary, as did the half read magazine on his which had fallen there when he'd seen his little brother enter Susie's house.

-------------------

After managing to hold a conversation with Buffy whilst drying up the last of the dishes and putting nearly everything away, Xander took the two glasses he'd left out and filled them with orange juice before heading back to the sitting room. Just before he reached the doorway, Xander stopped for a second and then peered around the edge of the doorframe. 

He smiled to himself as he watched Buffy as she was settled back in the easy chair by the window. Lucy was cradled in her arms, quite happily suckling on the now almost empty bottle that Buffy was holding for her. 

Xander's head rested lightly against the doorframe as he continued to watch Buffy in silence as she fed Lucy the rest of the formula, cooing softly at the little girl as she did so. He couldn't help but keep smiling. It wasn't often that he got to see Buffy out of her natural habitat - or as natural as a Slayer's life could be - and seeing Buffy like this, sitting peacefully with this tiny little girl, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world, was probably one of the weirdest things he knew he was going to see for a while.

//Or is it weird at all?// Xander then wondered to himself. //Why shouldn't this be ordinary for her?// Xander sighed and Buffy's attention was drawn up to him as he pushed himself away from the doorframe.

"What are you looking at?" Buffy asked with a smile.

"Just wishing I had a camera," Xander replied, grinning back. He held out one of the glasses of juice as Buffy rolled her eyes. "Here," he said. "Seeing as it's still as hot as hell, I thought you might like refreshment."

"Thanks." Buffy took the glass and set the now empty bottle of formula down on the small table beside the chair. She then looked at Lucy and smiled as the baby yawned and blinked sleepily. "Finally."

Xander sipped at his drink and sat down in the chair next to Buffy. "Y'know, I think you have got the magic touch," he remarked quietly.

Buffy turned to him and smiled. "Y'think?"

Xander nodded. "Definitely." 

Buffy smiled wider as Xander got up and then crouched down infront of Buffy, raising his hand to take Lucy's tiny fingers in his. She allowed her gaze to linger on Xander, smiling as she freeze framed the scene and added it to the one of him trying to feed Lucy from a little while earlier, filing them both away in a now rapidly filling drawer in her mind that was labelled 'Why I now find myself looking at Xander's ass and contemplating different urges other than to kick it'. It was a long label, she knew that, but she'd made it look pretty by putting glitter around the edges. 

//And I'm thinking that little statement might be indicative of my recently turned over and dumped on it's head life?// Buffy took a big gulp of her juice as she tore her gaze away and turned her attention back to the small child in her arms. //Glitter? Why don't I just wear a sign around my neck saying 'I have unresolved romantic feelings towards Xander Harris'?// Buffy took another gulp of juice and then set the glass down on the table. //But then it'd probably end up engraved in gold leaf-//

"Y'know, she looks a little like you." Xander's voice interrupted Buffy's musings.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, as Xander turned to look at her, her expression saying "Oh, really?"

Xander gave her a small grin. "She does, I'm telling you," he insisted.

"What? Small, pink and noisy?" Buffy rolled her eyes, thinking she'd second-guessed Xander's next words.

"I was gonna say gorgeous."

Buffy blinked. "Oh." She hoped her cheeks weren't going as red as she thought and cleared her throat, turning to Lucy and breaking the eye contact she had with Xander. 

Xander didn't know whether to be secretly pleased he'd finally managed to be able to say that to Buffy after all this time and managed to fluster her, or whether he should be smacking himself on the forehead for finally getting them to the awkward part of today's proceedings.

Xander settled for a mental smack on the forehead just as Buffy seemed to brush his remark off.

"Well, in that case, I'd agree with you," she said, smiling as she looked back at Lucy. "Does she look like that Tristan guy?"

"Uh…" Xander studied Lucy, albeit a little more intently than he needed to but it did mean that he wasn't thinking about the fact that he'd just gotten away with looking like a complete idiot. Well, almost. "I don't know," he said finally, after struggling to find any likeness. "Maybe… I'd probably need to see them together, I guess."

"Probably not such a great idea, y'know," Buffy looked at him, "Considering."

"Point well made," Xander acknowledged, nodding his head toward her and offering her a small smile before adding, "Well, whatever. You're a natural anyway."

Buffy looked back at Lucy. "She probably likes my funny faces." Trying to test her theory, Buffy stuck her tongue out at the little girl and crossed her eyes. Lucy gurgled and Buffy uncrossed her eyes and smiled back at her before turning to Xander. "See?"

"Yup. Natural."

"Maybe," Buffy said with a small shrug. "I just remember doing some of this stuff with Dawn." Buffy paused, then added with a smile and looked thoughtfully back at Lucy. "Or when Mom would let me and then still hover over my shoulder anyway and don't think I can't see that look on your face." Buffy turned back to him, an eyebrow raised slightly. "I know I didn't *actually* do anything with Dawn when she was this small, I just…"

"Remember?" Xander finished for her. Buffy nodded and Xander mirrored her sad smile back to her. He looked at Lucy and reached out his hand to grab the little girls smaller one. "Well at least you've got memories, even if they were implanted. And you've got her now." Xander added with a smile, turning his gaze to Buffy as Lucy curled her fingers around his once more. "So kind of a bonus."

"Hmm, sometimes I wonder." Buffy raised an eyebrow again, a small grin on her face. Then she looked a little more serious. "But she's a good kid. The whole Glory thing was tough but she got through it." Buffy cracked a smile again. "Now she just has to live with me."

Xander laughed. "Is she ever going to get to date?"

"Not until she graduates," Buffy replied. Then she grinned a little evilly at Xander. "She'll just have to make do with having a crush on you."

Xander just grinned back. "I'll cope."

"So modest." Buffy rolled her eyes. Then she looked a little contemplative and said with a slight shake of her head, "What is it with us Summers women?"

Feeling a little easier in himself, Xander shrugged. "You're just so darned cute," he answered, deliberately misinterpreting Buffy's question.

Buffy's lips twitched into a smile. "I was being rhetorical. And, I meant," she continued. "About liking you."

"Oh." Xander paused. "OK." He hesitated then flashed Buffy a grin. "Then maybe it's 'cos I'm so darned cute."

//Well, duh. That's why the glitter//. Buffy checked herself from saying it out loud though, but she did smile. A genuine one.

"Bit more to it that that, Xan," she replied, and almost instantly felt the need to roll her eyes at the shy 'who me?' look that settled on Xander's face before his smile slipped back in his more normal lopsided one. She resisted however. //Y'know, you'd think he'd get it by now//. Buffy then paused. //OK. Sensing the irony there//.

"Well, that kinda goes for you too," Xander told her after a pause from him. "I mean, the bit about there being more too it."

"I kinda guessed."

They both shared a slightly embarrassed smiles for a few seconds before a quiet yawn from Lucy ended the moment.

"I know sweetie," Buffy said softly to the little girl. "But you'll do less of that if you *actually* *go* to sleep."

"Think if I bribed her with a twenty it might work?" Xander suggested.

"You mean you don't want to hear me sing?" Buffy grinned and gave him a challenging look.

Xander blinked. "Uh… sure?"

"Is that a 'sure' for the positive or the negative?" Buffy asked.

"Positive?"

"Don't sound too convincing." Buffy rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Don't worry," she continued, taking pity on him, "I'm gonna take her up now anyway. Hopefully she'll go off this time."

"Well… maybe I should get going anyway." Xander stood as Buffy did. "Sean must have something by now."

Buffy frowned a little. "Wouldn't he have told us?"

"Uh, good point." Then Xander hesitated and glanced once at the door before looking back at Buffy. "But, I should still… I mean, I'm probably wasting valuable snooping time."

"Oh. OK." Buffy's frown disappeared but she knew she sounded disappointed. "Well, I guess if you think you can still dig something up…" Buffy looked down at Lucy. "And think that this little one will thank you if you can."

Xander smiled at the baby that was blinking tiredly at him. "Let's hope I can, huh Luce?"

"I think she smiled back," Buffy said, still looking at Lucy, so she was then unable to stop herself jumping in surprise when she felt Xander's hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and found him smiling warmly at her. He didn't say anything for a moment and Buffy's brows furrowed a little in confusion. "What?" she asked.

"Just look after yourselves, OK?"

Buffy just looked back at him for a moment then nodded, her lips forming a smile. "Always."

Xander gave her shoulder a squeeze and then let his hand drop. Buffy followed him out to the hallway, leaning with her back up against the pillar of the banister at the foot of the stairs as Xander pulled back the screen door. As his hand reached around the handle of the second door, he turned back to face her. 

Xander looked hesitantly at her before speaking, "Buffy-"

"It's 'cos I said I would sing, isn't it?"

Xander just looked at her and then saw her eyes crinkling into a smile before her lips did. Xander laughed, having to put his hand to his mouth to stifle himself so as not to disturb Lucy. "Guess you'll never know, Buff," he said, flashing her a grin as he opened the door.

Buffy sighed in mock exasperation as she followed him out. "Go on, go," she said, shooing him out with her one free hand. "At least Sean appreciates me."

Xander just grinned back at her again. "See ya later Buff."

"Bye Xan." Buffy leant against the doorframe as she watched Xander walk down the path, waggling her fingers in a wave as he glanced back over his shoulder at her. "Well, that wasn't too bad," Buffy said softly to herself as Xander reached the sidewalk. "It could've been better, but-" she looked down at Lucy, who now seemed to be asleep. Buffy smiled. "Overall, not bad."

-------------------

Still parked across the other side of the street, Tristan kept himself slouched down in the driver's seat of his car as he watched the parting scene between his brother and mother of his child through the front window. 

A deep, angry frown settled on his face as his gaze followed his brother down the sidewalk as he left Susie's house. "What the hell are you playing at Olly?" Tristan muttered darkly as his brother disappeared from his line of sight. He looked back at Susie's house and saw the dark haired young woman in shorts and t-shirt standing in the doorway also watching his brother walk away. 

Tristan's attention then settled on the small child in her arms. His daughter. She'd named her Lucy. After shifting forward in his seat to get a better view, Tristan kept watching for a few moments more as Susie seemed to say something to Lucy and then she turned and headed back inside. Once the doors were closed, Tristan folded his arms across the steering wheel and rested his chin on them.

"Not long now," he whispered to himself. "Then I won't have to pretend anymore."

Tristan sighed and closed his eyes for a second and then turned and looked down the road in the direction in which his brother had gone. "But I think I'm gonna have to find out what that little squirt is up to." Tristan started the engine and began to pull away from the curb, making a u-turn

-------------------

The echo of the large wooden door closing behind him reverberated around Xander as he stood in the large lobby of the Carson's house.

"Home sweet home," Xander muttered as the lobby descended into silence again. "Yup. This place is real homey." Xander sighed and glanced around, straining to hear signs of life. He hoped he'd made it back after Oliver's parents were supposed to be out. Starting to hum something tuneless, Xander began an exploration of some of the ground floor rooms, checking to make sure that he was parent free and Sean had said that Tristan would be out for the majority of the afternoon with some friends.

As he left one of the rooms, he caught sight of himself in a mirror hanging on the wall in the connecting hallway. Xander stopped and stared back at his reflection, always finding it disconcerting to look back into somebody else's eyes. Xander was never sure if he could see himself or not; just a shade of who *he* was, not the person he found himself in. 

Sometimes he thought maybe he caught a glimpse, but then it was gone before he had time to make sure. It bothered Xander a little, and not just being only able to peek at himself now and again. It was that he'd been self-conscious for most of his life. Well, OK, more like all of it. And he knew that most of it didn't all come from within; that it wasn't just the small amount inbuilt insecurity that any person had - Xander had to couple his with outside influences that told him he wasn't good enough. Usually to his face.

Xander raked his fingers through his hair and smoothed his own longish locks back while the shorter hair on Oliver's head stayed pretty much the same. He guessed it was only during the last few years that he'd gotten over his 'Oh God, no girl will ever find me attractive' phase. I mean, look at the girls he'd dated. Look at the girl he's dating. Look at the girl he'd cheated on his girlfriend with and who he'd just left, literally holding the baby. 

No, repulsive to the opposite sex he was not. And apparently not to the same sex either. Sean's less than subtle remarks had left no doubt about that. And it didn't bother him as much he appeared to make out; it was just strange to think about as now it was 'Cool, the cute girls like me' coupled with 'Hey, is that guy checking out my ass?'.

No, it was the part of his mind that went 'want me, 'need me' that demanded an answer of some kind. An answer to what exactly Buffy meant when she said there was 'a little bit more to it than that.".

But he knew he didn't have time to try and puzzle that little gem out right now, Xander closed his eyes, sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face before running them through his hair. He looked back at Oliver's reflection in the mirror for a moment. //I think I'd better leave the introspective stuff 'til after we get this leap over with//. He sighed again. //Or maybe 'til we get home//.

Once upstairs in Oliver's room, Xander flopped back onto the bed, resting his hands on his stomach as he gazed up at the high ceiling.

"OK, I need a plan of action," Xander murmured to himself, thinking out loud . "Sean's going to come back to me when he'd got those numbers for the safe in the bedroom, but Mr Carson's study seems to be another likely place to hide information, though the diary I found seem like a dead end." Xander sighed. "I'm also undecided on what Tristan's role is in all of this. Does he know what his parents have planned?"

Xander sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Of course," he mused, "If he's out, then his room is available to snoop in." 

Xander headed out into the hallway again, only having to walk a short way before he came to Tristan's room. Just as he was reaching for the door handle, Xander stopped and frowned when he heard the muffled sound of a song playing on a radio or stereo coming from inside the room. Xander snatched his hand back and took a step away from the door.

"Crap," he sighed in frustration. "He can't be back can he?"

"Olly."

Startled, Xander's head snapped around to his right to see Tristan about twenty feet away at the top of yet another flight of stairs. It was the sharp tone in his voice that made Xander realised that it was a statement rather than a question and he noted something unreadable in Tristan's face as the other man headed towards him.

"Hey." Xander made his tone light. "I was just wondering if you were back." Xander gestured towards him. "Obviously you are."

"Yeah." Tristan's gaze hardened as he got within a few feet of Xander.

Xander didn't drop his gaze though, even though he was slightly confused by Tristan's change in mood from this morning. "So…" Xander searched for something to say, "…have fun today?" //Lame//.

Tristan was leaning against the doorframe now, one hand on the handle, but Xander could tell from experience that the stance was just a little too relaxed. Xander tried not to frown. //OK, what the hell is going on with him?//.

"Not really," Tristan replied, his hand dropping from the door handle to his side. He looked at Xander in silence for a moment, as if contemplating his next words. "What about you?" he said finally. "Noticed you'd been out too."

//Oh, and there's the all too casual tone// Xander remarked in his head. "Just went out for a walk," Xander replied, managing slightly better with his casualness as he let a grin slip easily into place on his face. "So," he nodded towards Tristan's door, "Gonna go in or what?"

Tristan seemed to be measuring him up again and, sensing a great deal of irony at the thought of it, Xander realised he was lucky to have been attacked enough in his time to be able to sense Tristan's arm moving as the other man's hand shot out towards him.

"Now what the hell was that for?" Xander asked as he caught Tristan's wrist before it got anywhere near to him, noting a look of surprise on the other man's face as Xander held him firm.

"How the-?" Tristan stopped short though and his expression soon turned from surprise to one of anger as he struggled against Xander's grip. "What the hell are you playing at Olly?" he spat out. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Uh, stopping your fist connecting with my jaw?" Xander replied, his sarcasm falling somewhat short as he noted, with confusion, the undertones of hurt in the other man's voice.

"Don't fucking play with me." Tristan stepped back and just glowered at him as Xander let go of his wrist.

"Then what are you talking about?"

Tristan's arms hung by his sides and hands clenched into fists but he made no move towards Xander again. "You know dam well what I'm talking about," Tristan bit out. "I *saw* you."

The hurt hidden in Tristan's voice was still confusing Xander. "Tristan," he said calmly, hoping it would rub off on the other man who still seemed twitchy. "I *really* don't know what you're on about, OK?"

Tristan opened his mouth to say something, but his jaw just rose and fell a couple of times in silence before he turned and stormed into his room, the door banging shut in Xander's face.

Xander just stared at the closed door, a perplexed look on his face. "Well… that was interesting." He took a breath and took a step forward. "And certainly not over."

Tristan whirled around in surprise as Xander came into the room after him. "Olly-"

"Shut it," Xander snapped, jabbing a finger in Tristan's direction. "You don't just try to land one on me for no good reason Tristan, so why don't you tell me why you tried to rearrange my youthful good looks."

"Well it wouldn't talk much to do that," Tristan retorted, reverting to familiar mocking of his brother and taking his turn to match a glare thrown in his direction. "And don't you point your finger at me, 'cos next time you won't catch my fist."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Xander replied evenly.

"You know, they must've finally dropped into view," Tristan sneered. "'Cos this is the first time I've seen you with any balls."

"People change. And talking about change, that seems to be what you're doing with the subject. I wanna know why you tried to hit me."

Tristan turned away from Xander for a moment before looking back at him, the hurt expression floating on top of the angry one. "Susie."

A confused frown settled on Xander's face. "Susie?"

"Yeah. I *know*. I saw you, OK?"

"Saw? What… oh." Xander gave a small nod of his head in realisation. "You were there."

"Saw you go in." Tristan began to pace. "I was watching."

"Watching huh?" Xander crossed his arms infront of his chest. "Binoculars over a hedge kind of deal was it?"

"Why were you there?!" Tristan stopped and turned to face him. "You had no right to be!"

"No right?!" Xander exclaimed. "She's *family*. Lucy still happens to be my niece, OK?"

"Olly-"

"You might not want to know your daughter, but *I* do!"

Once again Xander intercepted Tristan's arm as the other man lunged towards him, but he took a blow to the shoulder as Tristan hit out with his free arm. They struggled for a few moments before Xander managed to get hold of both his arms, but Xander found it hard to keep hold of him firmly.

"You're going to ruin everything!" Tristan yelled right into Xander's face.

"Me?!" Xander yelled right back. "I'm not the one watching my daughter in secret!" Xander struggled to keep Tristan at arms length. "And that whole *secret* bit begs another question as well. Planning something I should know about?"

Xander saw something spark in Tristan's eyes as he spoke those last words and the other man drew reserves from somewhere and shoved Xander backwards and let go. It was with enough force that Xander's legs came into contact with the bed and he fell backwards, landing with a resounding thump on the mattress.

"I can't have you ruining this Olly!" Tristan shouted at him. "You stay away from her! You stay away from them both!"

Looking up, Xander stared after Tristan as the other man stormed from his room then, with a sigh, Xander dropped his head again and closed his eyes. "Well that went well."

"Hey what did I miss? I heard shouting."

"Hey Sean," Xander said with another sigh and pushed himself up. "The shouting was me and Tristan."

"Ah. Ordinary sibling row or something I need know about?"

"He knew I went to see Buffy, well Susie," Xander corrected himself. He stood up and faced Sean. "He was watching her, or Lucy, well whatever, he was *there*."

Sean's face fell. "Shit, we shoulda tracked him." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What did he say?"

"Well, he's definitely pissed about it. Enough to take a swing at me." Xander began to straighten his clothes. "I was thinking maybe if I goaded him enough he might make a slip, y'know, say something that'd give us a clue as to what we're supposed to be looking for to solve this thing."

"And did he?"

"He said didn't want me to ruin things. Said it twice, in fact."

"OK, that sounds a little too ominous for my liking," Sean remarked. "So I guess this means we're still ruling him in."

"Well, I wasn't actually planning on ruling him out," Xander replied. "But I guess you're right…" Xander trailed off, a little thought tugging at his brain. "Even though…"

"What?"

"I don't know. It's just he seemed… I mean-" Xander stopped and started again, rubbing at his shoulder where Tristan had managed to hit him. "I just wasn't expecting him to get that angry about it. He seemed almost… upset."

"Well, we'll keep an eye on him," Sean said, tapping away on Gizmo's keypad. "He takes on anymore spying missions and we'll know about it." He looked up, "We'll make sure Buffy knows about it too," Sean then added, knowing he'd pre-empted Xander.

Xander gave him a nod in thanks. "So, I'm guessing you didn't just drop in to say 'hi' either."

"Nope." Sean gestured towards the door. "Step to it Xander, we got a safe to open."

"Y'know, I've been thinking," Xander said, quietly, just in case Tristan was still hanging around. "This agency would've been named when the whole thing went to court, right?"

"I know what you're thinking Xander," Sean replied as he followed Xander along the hallway. "But we need to know who they subcontract to." On Xander's puzzled looked, he continued. "That's who we think the Carson's are dealing with. These guys don't just do adoptions for themselves, sometimes they auction up to the highest bidder."

Xander felt sick. "And I thought we had enough trouble dealing with demons."

"I know."

Xander turned to him as they walked. "And, honestly? What are the odds that we'll actually find something in this safe?"

Sean paused. "Slim," he said finally.

Xander looked ahead again. "Thought so." 

They continued in silence for a little while before Sean spoke. "But, on the bright side, at least you and Buffy seem to be getting on better."

"Well, if you mean we talked with out having to remove feet from mouths every so often, then, yeah. Getting better."

Sean smiled a little and they walked another few steps in silence before he then cast a sideways glance at Xander. "Still wanted to jump her didn't you?"

Xander paused and then sighed before looking at Sean. "Yeah."

"Thought so."

They walked in silence again until they reached the master bedroom whereupon Xander sighed again. "On with the job, huh?"

"That's what we here for."

-------------------

Buffy ignored the slight ache she was beginning to feel in her arms and settled back against the pillows she'd arranged against the headboard of the bed. She looked down and smiled softly at the little girl that slept in her arms. Buffy had tried putting Lucy down in her crib but she'd stirred and Buffy could see the threat of tears in the little girl's face so she'd ended up still in Buffy's arms.

"Y'know this doesn't meant to say I'm a soft touch," Buffy whispered softly, reaching out and stroking the small tuft of downy hair on Lucy's head. "Xander may say different, but you can just ignore him." Buffy paused. "Which, OK, is easier said than done. Trust me, I know."

Buffy ran her finger down Lucy's arm and then over her curled up fingers. "And sometimes you're gonna have to ignore stuff because in the end it'll just make it harder." Buffy paused again and then smiled wryly. "Especially if their girlfriend can summon the power to make things go green and drop off." She sighed. "Sometimes you have to think about what'll be best all round."

Buffy sighed again as Lucy just slept through her words. "Guess you'll figure that out by yourself, huh?"

-------------------

__

(Somewhere else…)

Jack Simpson had just sat down and was about to start reading his paper when his phone rang. Sighing, he put his paper to one side and got up to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"It's Miller. We're switching locations." 

"Switching? Why?"

"Park's gonna be too open. Too risky."

"Fine. Where?"

"Rosterson suggested somewhere closer to home. I call again later."

Jack looked at the receiver in his hand as Miller hung up. "That guy just gets off on being mysterious," he muttered before going back to his paper.

-------------------

For the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening, Xander sifted through the various items he'd taken from the safe in Oliver's parents' bedroom. So far he'd separated it into piles; one called 'Maybe' and one called 'Why'd I bother taking this out?'. As yet, he'd not found anything that could go into a pile called 'Thank God, this is it, now we can all go home.

In his 'Maybe' pile, Xander had placed a business card that just stated the name 'Rosterson & Co.' and their telephone number, but no actual mention of what their business was. Also in the pile was a bunch of receipts that he'd found clipped together. Receipts for establishments that he didn't think it would be normal for Mr and Mrs Carson to visit - several from fast-food chain outlets and a couple from what Xander knew, from outward appearances anyway, was a downmarket bar as he'd passed it as he'd made his way to Susie's that afternoon.

The only other thing was a strip of from a photo booth of Tristan and Susie; two of them sitting side by side, their faces squashed together and one with Tristan behind Susie, his arms wrapped around her. But, Xander noticed, the top edge of the strip was slightly jagged as if it had been cut or torn, which in turn made Xander think there was a photo missing. There was nothing written on the back of the photographs, nothing that would denote a reason for the photos or when they were taken.

On the bed, Xander laid on his stomach, the two piles infront of him. He pushed the 'Why'd I bother?' pile to one side and brought the much smaller 'Maybe' pile closer. 

Xander had tried calling the number on the business card, but had gotten an engaged tone the first few times and then it had gone through on to an answerphone when he had called since - the last time being all of three minutes ago. As Xander was reluctant to leave a message without knowing more, Sean was now checking the company out.

Xander looked at the photographs again. He had the niggling feeling that something wasn't right. The photos showed a couple that seemed extremely happy and contented with each other, it seemed strange that after Susie announced her pregnancy, she'd been dropped by Tristan in the next couple of weeks after he'd told his parents about the baby.

In fact, Tristan's behaviour was pretty strange, Xander reflected. The whole time he'd been yelling at him earlier, Xander had thought he could detect something else in the Tristan's tone. The guy had sounded hurt as well as angry. Although hurt about what, Xander had yet to determine.

Xander placed the photos back on the small pile before propping himself up on his elbows, dropping his head forward and then clasping his hands over the back of his head. //Yeah. The guy has a great relationship and then something happens that throws it all up into the air. Wonder where I've seen that before? Twice//.

Xander sighed and closed his eyes, letting his forehead drop completely onto the bed. //Xand, man, I thought we'd agreed about not thinking about that, OK?// he told himself. //Job to do remember?//

And as if the fates had suddenly decided to remind him of that fact too, there was a knock at the bedroom door. "Master Oliver?" came a voice from the other side of the door.

Xander raised his head and looked at the door with a puzzled frown. "Uh, yeah?"

"Your parents requested that I call you for dinner," the voice replied.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Sure. Thanks. Tell them I'll be down in a minute."

"Very good, sir."

"Great," Xander muttered. "Send the butler up rather than give Oliver a shout themselves." //These people can have servants coming out of there ears, and I know where I'd rather be right now even if it did mean changing dirty diapers//.

Xander pushed himself up so he was sitting and began to gather up his booty from the Carson's safe. Looking once more at the strip of photos of Susie and Tristan before he stashed everything on top of the large wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Heaving a deep sigh, Xander began to head downstairs. Even though he really wasn't that hungry and the company wasn't going to be scintillating, Xander knew that he had to do this as it was the only chance he'd get to know more about the rest of Oliver's family and hope against hope that one or more of them would give him some clue about the little Lucy's kidnapping.

And, it would seem that after interrupting him from his musings only minutes before, the fates had decided to come through on that hope against hope.

As Xander reached the bottom of one of the side staircases that led down to the ground floor, he slowed when he heard Mr Carson's muffled voice floating down towards him from the other end of the dimly lit hallway. Xander couldn't see him and guessed he must be stood just around the corner and in the next hallway, but knew he must be talking to someone else as he then heard another muffled voice as well. 

Quietly, Xander took the last few steps down and then glided over to his left. Keeping to the shadows he began to stealthily make his way another twenty yards further up the hallway until he could hear the voices clearly. 

"I thought you understood the ramifications," Mr Carson was saying. "You're not to see the girl."

"How did you know?" came the reply. It was Tristan. "How the hell did you *even* *know*?"

"You're my son and heir. I make it my business to know what you're doing."

"You were *watching* me?" Xander heard Tristan reply incredulously. "I can't believe you."

"What you'd better believe, son, is that that girl is nothing but trouble." Mr Carson sounded smug. "It would appear that she seems to have put you from her mind."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"She was seen with someone else. Didn't you know? You must have seen him. After all, he was there this afternoon as well."

There was a long pause and Xander realised that Tristan was probably just as confused as he was. Didn't Mr Carson know it was him, 'Oliver', that had been there?

"But… but you… you didn't see who it was?" Tristan asked finally.

"I was told it was another young man. They thought it was you at first, but then they spotted you in the car opposite the house."

There was another long pause and then Tristan and Xander spoke at the same time. "They?"

If either Mr Carson or Tristan had heard Xander, they didn't acknowledge it. Then Tristan spoke again. "Are you watching me?" he asked slowly. "Or are you watching Susie?"

"I just want to make sure you know what's best for you, son," Mr Carson replied, the threat in his voice not even hidden. "This family is your future and Susie Fredericks is most definitely not going to play any part."

"Don't worry, *dad*. I know what's *best* for me."

"That's my boy. Now, come on, let's have dinner shall we?"

"You go on," Tristan told him. "I'll be there in a minute."

Xander didn't hear anything from Mr Carson in reply and after a few moments, he assumed the older man had probably left. Xander waited a little while more, and, not hearing anything from Tristan either, began to walk along the hallway again, still keeping to the shadows as much as he could in case either one was still lurking about, which was difficult as the light was brighter at the end of the hall where the conversation had taken place. Still hearing nothing as he neared the end of the hall, Xander approached the corner wall quietly and peered around the corner, only to immediately draw back when he saw that Tristan still stood there; the older boy leaning against the wall, hands in his trouser pockets and his head hung low.

"I wonder what he's thinking."

Xander visibly started as someone spoke into his left ear. With his hand clutched over his heart and feeling his now perkier than normal heartbeat, Xander turned to glare at the dark haired man beside him. "Don't *do* that," Xander mouthed silently.

Sean rolled his eyes then moved to stand infront of Xander and grinned. "Come on, tell me you aren't pleased to see me."

Xander gave him a bored look. "Ecstatic," he mouthed back.

Sean retaliated with an exaggerated pout. "But I have good news."

"What?" Xander mouthed, looking expectantly at the hologram.

"He's gone," Sean informed him, nodding over to where Tristan had stood. "You can lose the mime act."

"I was just being cautious," Xander replied softly, peering around the corner to see Tristan about halfway along the other hallway. Xander walked around the corner and then stood still, watching the Tristan walk away from him. "So what have you got?"

"Well, we're still searching for something on this 'Rosterson' thing. We couldn't find a company registered in this period with that name. But that could be a good thing, because-"

"-it means they probably don't want to be in the limelight," Xander finished.

"Exactly," Sean agreed. "If these *are* our guys, then they wouldn't want to attract any unwanted attention."

"What about the phone number?" Xander asked.

"We're running it through our systems," Sean replied. "Nothing yet."

Xander nodded. "So what about him?" Xander gestured towards Tristan who had just disappeared through a set of double doors into the dining room. "There's something I don't get." Xander looked back at Sean. "One minute I think he knows what's going on… the other…"

"Well, I don't think he's in with whatever his parents have planned," Sean replied. "I think that conversation you just witnessed it testament to that."

"Whether he knows about it or not, Sean, he's up to something," Xander muttered. "What about what he said to that lawyer guy? Y'know, 'She'll get the shock of her life'." Xander began to head towards the dining room. "I wanna know what that's supposed to mean."

Sean followed him. "We'll do some more digging. Maybe there's something we missed."

"OK. In the meantime, I'll keep my ears pinned back here. Maybe now that something's come out in the open, other stuff'll start to slip."

"Let's hope." Sean nodded towards the dining room doors as they approached them. "Remember to eat your greens."

Xander pulled a face. "Do your job and I'll do mine, OK?"

"Ooh, and authoritative too. Tell me, do you cook?"

"Two words Sean," Xander replied softly just as he had his hand on the door handles. "Losing battle."

"Yeah, I guess two women are more than enough to deal with, huh?" Sean flashed a grin at Xander before he tapped a few buttons on Gizmo and disappeared, leaving Xander glaring at empty space.

"I'm gonna get to hit that guy one day," Xander mumbled to himself before heading into the dining room where upon he was greeted with disapproving stares from both of Oliver's parents, with Jocelyn also tapping her watch.

Xander groaned inwardly. //There'd better be something good to eat//.

-------------------

Of course it was typical that just as Buffy had been partaking in the first decent rest she'd had that day, Lucy decided that she didn't want to sleep after all and had in fact been fooling Buffy all along with the ruse that she was content in her crib all tucked up.

And of course Buffy's dream had just been getting interesting. Or rather it involved a certain person she wasn't supposed to be thinking about in a certain way, so she certainly shouldn't have been dreaming about him kissing her again and especially dreaming about him kissing her the way he was. At least she was sure she hadn't moaned a certain person's name out at any stage during the proceedings. 

Pretty sure.

Buffy was beginning to dislike her subconscious. 

//Because it's quite obviously your fault// she said to her inner self, //that there is a glitter decorated drawer with the words 'Looking', 'Xander' and 'Ass' on it's label somewhere in my head//.

"And you think you've got problems." Buffy looked down at Lucy who now lay back in her arms. The little girl's face was beginning to turn red from the effort of crying and her tiny arms and legs struggled with nothing in particular. "You just wait 'til you grow up and puberty hits." Buffy let out a heavy sigh. "I'm beginning to think that I should just let you cry. That's supposed to work sometimes, right?"

"My God, that kid's got a set of lungs."

"Gah! *Sean*." Buffy turned around to glare at the hologram. "Can't that little gizmo of yours ring out a little tune before you just suddenly appear?" Buffy held Lucy close against her chest. "I've got enough things on my mind without having to worry about having a heart attack."

"What is it with you and Xander?" Sean shook his head. "You two should be used to me doing that by now."

"Sean, I'm tired, I have a gigantic headache and it doesn't help that my stress level has pretty much hit 'Annoy Me and Die'."

"Point taken," Sean conceded. "Want me to just tell you the latest news?"

Buffy waited until Lucy paused for breath between her crying. "Please."

"Well, Xander pulled some interesting stuff from the Carson's safe. There's a so called company called 'Rosterson' that we're trying to find the low down on at the moment and there were some photos of Susie and Tristan together in there as well."

"Well I don't see how that's supposed to be suspicious," Buffy replied as she began to head downstairs, still holding Lucy. "But whatever floats your boat, I guess."

"And we found out that the Carson's have somebody watching the house."

Buffy turned mid descent down the stairs and gave Sean a look. "You couldn't have said that bit first?"

"Yeah, well, dramatic finish and all that. You just let us do our bit and you..." Sean nodded towards Lucy. "You do yours."

"Gee, thanks," Buffy replied dryly as she gently rocked Lucy. "Y'know, I'm gonna remind you of that someday." As she descended the final step of the stairs, Buffy's sigh was drowned out by Lucy's crying. "Someday real soon."

"Have you tried singing again?" Sean asked, trying to get Lucy's attention.

"Singing, talking, pleading, begging… Whatever I do she ignores me. I think she's beginning to suspect that I'm not actually her mother." Buffy looked down at Lucy who seemed to be doing her utmost to ignore Sean as well. "So much for Xander thinking I was a natural."

"Buffy, you can't help it if she's getting vibes that you're not who you're supposed to be," Sean told her. "It's just one of those things."

"Maybe she needs some fresh air," Buffy suggested. "I know I could use some," she added before expelling a puff of air in order to rid herself of a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her face. "Maybe a walk wouldn't be so bad." Buffy stepped over to the window and looked out. "Just a couple of blocks or so."

"Um, excuse me?" Sean waved his hand infront of her face. "People watching the house, remember?"

"You are such a spoilsport." Buffy sighed her umpteenth sigh for the day then pouted at Sean. "Not even once around the block? You could keep watch."

"OK, I'm reiterating the people watching the house fact. I'm also pointing out the fact that I'm not going to be much good to you in an emergency, because, *hello*-" Sean waved his hand straight through the window, "-hologram?" Sean then pointed to the sky. "Plus, there's the fact that it looks like it's going to rain." He looked back at Lucy. "Maybe she's hungry."

"Sean, she's eaten more than I have today." Buffy walked away from the window and began to pace the length of the room, gently rocking Lucy. "Come on sweetheart," she cooed to the little girl. "You slept earlier. What's so wrong with sleeping now?"

Sean watched Buffy pace for a moment or two more before he shook his head and sighed. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay here and be deafened by a small child, Buffy, I'm going to head off."

Buffy turned to face him and nodded tiredly. "Tell Xander I said 'hi'."

Sean gave her a sympathetic smile. "Will do. See you later." He nodded towards Lucy. "Good luck."

Buffy nodded tiredly again and began to walk towards the kitchen as Sean disappeared behind her. Buffy continued to try and soothe Lucy as she now held the little girl with one arm while she reached out with the other to the fan that still stood on one of the counter tops. Buffy closed her eyes as the cool breeze began to waft around her and for a moment she could have sworn Lucy' became more subdued. Until the fan stopped and Buffy's groan could be heard above Lucy's cries.

"I don't believe this…" Buffy hit the fan but it failed to respond. She sighed and then jumped again when she heard a noise from behind her. Buffy spun around to find nobody there but then she heard the noise again and realised that it was the back door slowly swinging in what breeze there was outside. Sighing, Buffy padded over barefoot and went to push the door shut, but then on second thought, she opened the door further and stepped outside.

The breeze that greeted her wasn't quite as cool as the short burst from the fan, but it seemed to be less humid outside and the air felt less stuffy. Yawning, Buffy began to walk up and down the patio that was more weeds than paving slabs. "See?" she said to Lucy, who thankfully seemed to be actually running out of steam, "We can go outside… just not that far." Buffy after a couple of laps when she caught sight of her reflection in the kitchen window. "Although looking like I do, I don't think venturing further than this would've been a good idea unless I wanted to scare the entire neighbourhood." Buffy lifted a handful of hair away from her face that had fallen from her ponytail and pulled it behind her ear, watching the reflection of a stranger do exactly the same thing. 

"I think at this point I'm gonna say rather you than me," Buffy spoke to the reflection. "Motherhood is not one job I want right now." Buffy sighed as she started pacing again. "Of course neither is quantum leaping or actually slaying vampires, but at least I've had some time to get used to those and my God, how insane did that last part just sound?" She looked down at Lucy who just stared right back at her and made a few half-hearted cries. "You don't care really do you?" Buffy smoothed her fingers softly over the little girl's forehead. "You just want your mom." 

Buffy yawned again and headed over to the rickety and rusty garden chair in the corner of the garden by the house. Sitting down, she arranged Lucy in her arms, the baby finally seeming to have cried herself out, and then Buffy settled back against the pleasantly cooling metal of the chair. Looking up, Buffy watched the grey clouds gathering on the horizon. "Maybe it is going to rain." Buffy yawned once more. "Might even storm." Her eyes drifted half closed as she absently played with Lucy's fingers. "Best if you get some sleep kid, just in case it does."

Buffy sat and watched Lucy as the little girl began to drift back off to sleep again, too tired to question why Lucy'd woken up or why she'd decided to settle back down. And too tired to question why the back door had been banging in the breeze when it had been closed since Xander had left earlier that day.

-------------------

As before, the dinner had been eaten in silence except this time, Xander wasn't the only one casting furtive glances at the elder Carson's. It seemed that everytime Xander looked up from picking at his food, Tristan was shooting questioning, almost anxious looks at his parents - his father in particular - and if he wasn't looking at them, Tristan was staring down at his plate seemingly deep in thought. He'd once looked across and caught Xander watching him, but after giving Xander an unreadable look, he went back to his thoughts.

Xander had no question in his mind that the other young man was thinking about the conversation he'd had with his father as Xander was trying to puzzle it out too. But then there was also the fact that Xander now had to try and figure out what Tristan was up to if he wasn't involved with his parents' plans. Xander was still intrigued by the conversation that he'd overheard between Tristan and Harold the lawyer.

Xander sighed. Maybe a little too heavily. There was a clearing of a throat to his left and Xander looked up and across to meet the gaze of Mr Carson.

"It's been that hard a day for you has it?" Mr Carson said, not hiding the sarcasm in his voice. "Something pressing heavily on your mind maybe?"

Xander didn't drop his gaze. Instead he quirked one eyebrow slightly and his lips slid into a sort of half smile. "Nope. Anything heavy on yours?"

Mr Carson blinked and Xander could see the look of a double take on his face even if the man didn't show it in his movement. Then Mr Carson's jaw set firm. "No." was his single utterance before he concentrated back on his meal again.

Xander felt his smile widen just a little before he let it slip back and, ignoring the glare he didn't even need to see from Mrs Carson, he went back to his meal. But he didn't miss the curious look from Tristan - the other man's brow furrowed in puzzlement.

//Yeah, well, now it's time for you to work out what *I'm* up to instead// Xander thought. //I'm getting tired of having to do all the figuring out//.

The rest of the main meal passed in silence, but by the time dessert came, it seemed that Tristan had had enough and with a clatter of cutlery against china, Tristan pushed himself back from the table. "I'm finished," he said, getting up.

"Fine." Mr Carson gave his son a brief look before digging back into his crème brule.

Tristan ignored him. "If any one wants me, I'll be in my room."

Xander had no doubt that that last sentence was aimed at him if the look in Tristan's eyes was anything to go by in the glance that he gave Xander before he left. Xander eyed his own desert before setting down his spoon and getting up from the table. "What he said," Xander offered without any airs or graces before he headed out of the dining room after Tristan.

Tristan wasn't anywhere to be seen in the hallway outside the dining room and nobody had decided to follow him out, so he began to make his way back along the hallway to the stairs he'd come down earlier only to find Tristan sitting midway up the steps.

Xander stood and looked up at the other man for a moment, holding Tristan's gaze before he began to climb the stairs. "Hey," Xander said simply.

"Hey," Tristan replied, standing as Xander reached the step he'd been sitting on. "I think we need to have a little talk."

Xander nodded and then began to follow Tristan up the rest of the stairs. They walked in silence until they both stood outside Tristan's room then suddenly Tristan spoke just as Xander went to open the door. "Sorry," he said quietly. When Xander looked at him with a confused expression, he added, "About trying to hit you. Y'know… before."

Xander studied him for a moment then sighed, knowing the other man was sincere. "Yeah, well, don't try it again." Xander entered Oliver's room. "I don't really want to have to apologise to you for hitting you back." He turned around and threw Tristan a grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Tristan managed a small smile in return. He closed the door behind him and then looked around the room before his gaze settled back on Xander. "So…"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Look. Why don't we just start in why you knew that in the first place, huh? I mean, why were you even hanging around? I thought you didn't give a damn."

Tristan's expression settled into a frown. "You don't know what you're talking about," he replied, trying to hold back the angry tone.

Xander spread his arms out wide. "Then enlighten me, big brother."

Tristan began to pace. He sighed. "It's just… complicated."

"Complicated," Xander repeated flatly. "Yes, it's so obvious now." Xander ignored the angry look that Tristan gave him and continued. "Is that what you told dad?"

Tristan's eyes flashed. "Dad can go to hell." He stopped pacing and stood by the window and looked out. "It's his fault it even got to this state in the first place." Tristan turned and looked back at Xander. "And you…" he pointed an accusing finger at Xander, "*You* *know* something, Olly. I know you do. Why go to see Susie, huh? I mean, you were never interested before. You've kept out of this since day one and now suddenly…" he trailed. "What the hell are you up to, Olly?"

"I'm not the one up to anything," Xander replied. "I'm just in the right places at the right time."

Tristan gave him an exasperated look. "Right time for what?"

Xander hesitated. Would the truth be the best idea? Xander realised it could cause Tristan to do something drastic that might put both Lucy and Buffy as Susie and in danger and that wasn't high on Xander's agenda. And there would be too many questions and Xander didn't fancy having to bluff his way through the reasons why he knew everything that he did. //This sucks// Xander grumbled to himself. //Why couldn't I have leapt into Susie? I think I could have dealt with the diapers and the sleep deprivation instead of doing all the detective stuff. OK, maybe not the women's clothing… 'Cos there's no way I could have looked better in shorts and t-shirt than Buffy did this afternoon. I mean that tee just clung so much better to her chest than it could've to mine//.

Xander then stopped. Blinked. "I think I need to sit down," he groaned.

"Sit down?" Tristan looked at Xander incredulously as Xander sat down on the edge of the bed. "Olly, I wanna know-"

Xander held up his hand, interrupting Tristan. "Just… hang on," he said. "I need to get an image out of my head first."

"*Olly*!"

"Hey! It's a very distracting image," Xander replied. "Good," he then added, a thoughtful flitting across his face. "But distracting." As Tristan rolled his eyes Xander took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I have really got to stop doing this to myself," he muttered.

"*Olly*" Tristan was standing infront of Xander now. "Right. Time. For. *What*?"

"Tell him everything," another voice said.

Xander's gaze flicked to Sean who'd just appeared behind Tristan's left shoulder. He quickly gave the hologram a sceptical look. 

"Trust me," Sean assured him. "It'll be OK."

"It's better," Xander muttered. He looked back to Tristan and sighed. "Tristan… I think you'd better sit down."

-------------------

(A little while later…)

Tristan sat stock still on his bed, a dumbfounded expression on his face, whilst Xander stood a few feet away and watched him anxiously. Xander glanced at Sean and mouthed, "Trust me?"

"He'll be fine," Sean replied, ignoring the cynical look from Xander. "He's just processing it."

"Hmm." Xander sounded dubious. He stepped over to Tristan. "Hey… uh, you OK?"

"What do you think?" Tristan looked up at him. "I don't even know where to start with how I'm not OK." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You're *sure*? I mean-"

"Sure as I can be," Xander replied. He sat down next to Tristan and sighed. "Look, we can fix this, Tristan. We can. We just-"

"Xander, I think we should do this on the move." 

Xander stopped mid-sentence and he turned to the hologram; ignoring that Tristan was still in the room. "What is it?"

"We have to go," Sean replied, looking up from the device he held in his hand. "*Now*."

"Now?" Xander frowned. "Where?"

"Olly," Tristan looked at his brother oddly, "Who in the hell are you talking to?"

"I'll explain on the way," Sean answered Xander and then nodded towards Tristan. "Grab him and let's go."

Xander's attention snapped back to Tristan. "What's the fastest car in the garage?"

-------------------

Lucy had fallen back to sleep a short while ago and now the little girl was cradled in Buffy's arms as Buffy still sat outside, enjoying the breeze that was growing cooler by the minute. Buffy shifted in her seat and realised that she was probably going to pay for sitting in the uncomfortable chair later, but for now, Buffy was too tired to care. She'd fallen into somewhere between a daydream and a doze and her subconscious had decided to take the hint and had stopped bombarding her with dreams about a certain Mr Harris. Instead she was now dreaming about home and her family and friends that she'd left behind and wishing she was out patrolling and undertaking those activities she was destined for.

Almost wishing, anyway, as even half asleep her arm instinctively tightened around the small child in her arms when Lucy moved in her sleep. Buffy sighed softly and shifted again in her seat before letting her head fall against her shoulder as a vampire turned to dust in her head.

-------------------

__

(Not too far away…)

Karl Miller climbed into the passenger seat of the car belonging to his partner, Jack Simpson. "She's still there," he informed Jack who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Y'know I don't think this is any better than the other plan," Jack grumbled. "In fact, it's the *same* plan."

"Look, she broke from the routine, OK?" Karl replied. "If she wants to sleep outside then I say let her. Y'know? Take the opportunity if it's there."

"Hmm." Jack still didn't sound convinced. 

"Well, we're going to have to wait for Chris anyway."

"What? Why the hell do we have to wait for Chris?"

"Because he's driving the car."

Jack looked at his companion incredulously. "*I'm* driving the car!"

"No," Karl said slowly. "*You're* trashing the house."

"Not the robbery thing again," Jack groaned. 

Karl sighed. "It's not difficult, Jack. You just knock a couple of things over, that's all." Karl then looked over at Jack. "You didn't have to come on this job, y'know. I could've asked Macy. I just thought you needed the cash more."

"I do," Jack replied tightly. He turned away from Karl and looked out of the driver's side window. "I just…"

"Just what?"

Jack turned back to Karl and smiled thinly. "I hope that kid throws up on you." 

-------------------

"I just don't understand this," Tristan stated as he pulled out of the long driveway and onto the main road. "How can you know all this?" He glanced across at Xander who sat in the passenger seat of the Ferrari. "You said you overheard stuff, but even you don't sneak around that much."

"Well, why do you think dad's got her house being watched?" Xander replied. "Watching *her*?"

"Plus these guys who are sitting outside the house right now," Sean added; his image was projected in the middle of the windscreen. "They've been there way too long for my liking."

"I- … I don't…" Tristan trailed off. He took a hand off the steering wheel and ran a hand through his hair before putting his hand back. "I just can't believe that… that they'd *do* something like that. Something so *drastic*." Tristan thumped his hand against the wheel. "I know they weren't happy about it… Jesus, everybody knew that. But… it's their *grandaughter*. I'm their *son*. They're supposed to care."

Xander smiled ruefully. "Tell me about it."

"Y'know, I don't think you know how lucky you are little brother," Tristan responded. "I'd stay out of their way if I could too…" he trailed off and shrugged. "But that's not really an option for me is it? I'm the first born. I've gotta be the star student, the star athlete, provide mom and dad with those certificates and trophies so they can show their friends that they've done alright with their kid." Tristan paused for breath. "I gotta be smart and charming at all their stupid dinner parties and tell them all about how well I'm doing at college. And you… you don't have to do any of that because I do. You have no idea what I'm saving you from. You got to skulk about and get low grades because I was out there letting them think that the sun shone from my ass. And you know what? I didn't even mind that because I had Susie. And mom and dad didn't even mind Susie because to them it was just a stupid phase and they were still able to tell their stupid friends that I was still doing so well. So God forbid I should fall in love. God forbid that I get my girlfriend pregnant. I *wanted* to take care of her." Tristan sighed. "I *loved* her." 

"Then why leave her?" Xander prodded. "If you loved her, then why-"

"Because I was gonna lose any means I had of looking after her." Tristan turned to Xander. "I'd have no money, no prospects… I wouldn't've been able to stay in school." Tristan turned his concentration back to the road and sighed again. "I had to think of something… I had to wait… Mom and dad… they couldn't know." Tristan then looked at Xander. "And I didn't know where you'd stand." He sighed. "I guess I know now, huh?"

"Yeah, you do." Xander sighed. He looked out of the window at the scenery as it flashed by and then a thoughtful look crossed his face and he turned back to Tristan. "You said you had to wait. Wait for what?"

"My trust fund," Tristan replied. "If I kept away from Susie then I'd still have it. I-I didn't know if I could risk being seen with her… calling her." A sad look passed over his face. "So I didn't give them a chance to be suspicious. I did everything they wanted me too." Tristan then did something that threw Xander a little. He smiled. "But not anymore," Tristan continued. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked, confused.

"I've got money," Tristan replied, still smiling. "Enough to get us through school, I mean if Susie wants to. And there's enough to get a house-"

"Enough to take care of them…" Sean finished at the same time as Tristan. "He's been setting money up for them. But-" Sean looked at Xander then down and tapped some keys on Gizmo. "But Susie doesn't know."

"She'll get the shock of her life," Xander muttered softly.

"I've been working with Harold Neal," Tristan carried on. "He's sorted it… managed to siphon off money from my trust fund without it looking suspicious." He was still smiling. "Dad can't touch any of it; it's all in stocks and bonds." Tristan then shook his head. "But, y'know, I think we can have this little chat later. Let's just check up on my kid first, OK?"

"Sure." Xander glanced across at Tristan and then smiled at the determined look on the other man's face. "Sounds like a plan."

Sean then swore as 'Gizmo' beeped at him. "Uh, Xander? I think you should remind him we're in a Ferrari." Sean looked back up at Xander. "Like *now*."

-------------------

The air was getting cooler and the breeze a little stronger as Buffy felt stray wisps of hair move a little more earnestly against and across her face. She'd made her way through two of Sunnydale's graveyards and had dusted fourteen vampires and decapitated one Fyral demon and was now pounding on her fifteenth vamp when she realised she was feeling more tired than usual after a good nights slaying. Then Buffy realised that she wasn't actually slaying at all and the tiredness and aches were quite real. With a sleepy groan, she moved restlessly in the chair; first stretching out her legs one at a time then rolling her head and neck as she could feel the beginning of an ache. Shifting Lucy so the baby laid in the opposite crook of her arms, Buffy stretched her arm out to try and ease the cramp.

And she hit something solid.

And the solid something swore.

Buffy's eyes flew open and she caught sight of the stocky looking black man who was looming over her. "Wha? *Hey* let go of me!" Buffy exclaimed as the man grabbed hold of her wrist. Clasping Lucy as tight as she could against her, Buffy struggled against the grip the man had on her as he pulled her up.

"Sweetheart, you ain't going nowhere," the man growled back as he tried to pull her towards the house

"Yeah, nowhere with you!" Buffy managed to hold herself back long enough so she could kick out at the back of his knee. The man stumbled forward and Buffy mustered the rest of her strength and wrenched herself free of his grip. She ducked under his arm as he attempted to grab her again and ran towards the house.

"Sean!" Buffy cried out as she flung open the kitchen door as forcefully as she could with one hand. "A little help here?" The small sense of satisfaction Buffy felt when she realised her door flinging had produced the desired effect and had rebounded on her attacker, was short lived because as soon as she darted through the kitchen she ran straight into the arms of another man. Buffy looked up and fund herself staring back at a large white man who would have given any professional wrestler a run for their money.

"Hey lady, what's the rush?" the guy grinned down at her as he grabbed Buffy by her shoulders.

"You're not taking me anywhere!" Buffy hissed back into his face. She arranged a now heartily crying Lucy as best she could so she was holding the baby with both hands. "You picked on the wrong woman."

"Bitch slammed the door in my face." The black guy appeared from behind, rubbing his nose. "Shit, Jack, I'm bleedin' here."

Jack glared at Karl as he pushed a struggling Buffy backwards and pinned her shoulders against the wall. "Hey, asshole, why don't we just give out our addresses' as well?" He turned back to Buffy. "And who said we was taking you anywhere anyway?"

Karl shot a filthy look at Buffy before he walked past and into the sitting room. "Guess I'll just knock the place over huh?" Karl grumbled as he held his nose; blood trickled out past his fingers. 

Jack started to grimace as Lucy's crying went up another few decibels. "Can't you shut that kid up?"

Buffy glared back at him. "Not for you, you fucking bastard." Buffy stopped on his foot hard and although she was barefoot, it was hard enough to make Jack swear.

And it was also hard enough to make Jack reel back and deliver a sharp slap to Buffy's left cheek. "Try that again," he hissed" and it'll be my fist next time." He went to slam his hand back into her shoulder to pin her again, but Buffy twisted out of the way and brought her knee up hard into Jack's groin.

Jack howled; loud enough so that Buffy heard him over Lucy's screaming. As Jack moved backwards, Buffy ducked quickly and twisted out of his grasp and underneath his arm. Tucking Lucy securely under one arm, Buffy used her free hand to grab the phone and wielded it over-arm and smashed it hard onto the side of Jack's head as he went for her again.

"That's for slapping me, you bastard!" Buffy spun on her heel and didn't waste a second when she came face to face with Karl; this time bringing the phone up underarm and slamming it hard into his already damaged nose.

As Karl's hands flew up to his face, Buffy threw the phone over her shoulder at Jack and ran for the door. Wrenching it open, Buffy held Lucy in both arms again and ran outside. She was greeted by the feeling of water under her bare feet and all around her, as the dark clouds that had finally come through on their threat to rain. 

As the rain began to pour, Buffy ran down the path and onto the sidewalk. She risked a glance over her shoulder as she continued to run and saw that Jack had followed her out of the house and was shouting at someone in a car that was parked only yards away. Buffy swore and clutched Lucy closer to her chest and carried on, ignoring the stabs of pain in her feet as they hit rougher patches of pavement.

-------------------

"There she is!" Xander exclaimed, pointing out the window at a figure in the distance as they drove down Susie's block. "They're after her!"

Tristan narrowed his eyes as he saw one man follow her out of the house and another get out of a car. "Well they ain't gonna get her." Tristan wrenched the steering wheel over to his left. "Hang on Olly!"

They were still some distance behind Buffy as Xander suddenly found himself flung back into his seat as Tristan swerved abruptly and mounted the pavement. "Tristan!" Xander braced his hand against the door. "You're insane!" He then winced as the Ferrari went straight through somebody's garden wall, but thankfully screeched to a halt. Xander then looked out of the window, his gaze locking on to the figure of a large white man who was trying to come to a halt from a sprint. But didn't. And with a thump the man rolled on to the hood of the Ferrari.

"You OK?" Tristan turned to Xander who nodded dumbly, still slightly in shock. "OK. One down," Tristan continued before removing his seatbelt and throwing the car door open, immediately jumping out and grabbing the man who'd hit the front of the car and was now trying to get away.

Xander stared at him in disbelief for a moment before shaking himself back, his gaze flicking up in the rear view mirror as he did so. "Dammit!" Xander swore as he saw another man running past the back of the car. "Tristan!" he yelled. "Him!"

Tristan had just landed a jarring punch on his guy's jaw and then turned to where Xander was now pointing. He threw the man down the ground and half hurdled half clambered over the hood of the car and began to sprint after the other man.

Xander mean while had gotten out of the car and was chasing after the guy that Tristan had hit. But the rain wasn't helping and he slid on a wet patch of grass and had to put his hands out as he fell to stop his head making contact with a large rock. Xander felt his left wrist twist painfully as he landed and knew it was going to be badly sprained at least. Slicking his soaked hair back and out of his eyes, Xander got as quickly to his feet as he could and started off after the other man, but his heart immediately sank as he saw his quarry scrambling into the passenger seat of a car that already contained a large black man who was clutching his nose with one hand.

Holding his damaged hand to his chest, Xander could only watch and do nothing as the car then screamed past him off into the distance.

-------------------

__

(About thirty seconds earlier…)

Buffy heard a crash behind her and automatically she stopped and turned around to see what the commotion was. Blinking the rain drops out of her eyes, she stood slightly open mouthed as she saw the guy who'd slapped her hit then roll over on the hood of a red sports car that had crashed into a low wall. A blonde guy had then gotten out of the car, but Buffy's attention was then drawn to another man who'd run past the car and was now headed towards her. Buffy turned and started to run again, looking around desperately for somewhere where she could seek refuge, knowing it was futile for her to keep running. 

Just as she'd spotted movement in the driveway of a house across the street and about to head over, she heard someone calling her name. Her *own* name. Buffy blinked away rain again to see Sean hovering infront of her, keeping up with her as she moved.

"Hey Buffy, you wanna slow it down a bit?"

Buffy came to a halt, wincing as she stubbed her toes on the edge of the sidewalk. She turned in time to see the blonde man who'd first gotten out of the crashed car, tackle the man who'd been chasing her.

"That's Tristan," Sean pointed out helpfully.

Buffy squinted through the rain at the two figures wrestling on the ground. "Which one?" she asked distractedly as she rubbed soothing circles on Lucy's back. Buffy then jumped back suddenly as a car careered along the road in her direction and kept moving backwards until she felt a hedge behind her back, but the car just drove past her and off into the distance.

"Don't worry, we've got the plates," Sean told her. Then he turned to where Tristan had landed a knockout blow to the remaining kidnapper. "And hopefully we've got ourselves some information about these people too."

"OK, OK," Buffy sighed. She went back to trying to soothe Lucy. "I need to get her inside. After all this I'm not gonna let her get sick."

"You want my jacket?" a voice to her left said suddenly. "I mean, to wrap her up in?"

Buffy turned to see the blonde guy now standing and looking awkward as he held out his jacket towards her. "Thanks," Buffy said, taking the jacket. She looked down at the ground where the kidnapper still laid. "And, uh, thanks for him too." Buffy looked back up at Tristan and smiled. "That was some tackle."

"Star of the team, remember?" Tristan smiled back. "A-and you're OK? Both of you?" He looked anxiously at Lucy as she cried. "She get hurt?"

"No," Buffy replied as she tried to wrap Lucy as best she could with the jacket. "She's wet and tired, that's all."

"Oh. OK." Tristan then stood silently; wrapping his arms around his chest as the rain began to pelt down on him, and watched as Buffy struggled to cover Lucy by herself. "Do you, uh, need a hand?"

Buffy stopped for a moment and studied him. "Well, I guess tackling a guy to the ground to try and save her gives you some good grace I suppose," she reasoned. Buffy then shot him a steely look as she laid Lucy in his arms and could now use both her hands to pull the jacket around her. "Guess it was lucky you finally decided to stop by."

"Susie, I'm sorry," Tristan apologised earnestly. He then looked down at the heavily swathed baby in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Lucy"

"Yeah, well, I think we can talk about this later, don't you?" Buffy replied, but with no hint of harshness in her tone. "Mainly because I think those are police sirens I can hear," she then added, looking up the road before looking back at Tristan. She smiled fondly as she saw him staring intently at the tiny amount of Lucy's face that was showing. "Come on," she touched his arm. "You can look all you want in the dry."

"What about him?" Tristan indicated the man still lying on the ground. 

"I'll deal with it," Xander said as he walked up to meet them. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and shivered. "You two get inside."

Tristan smiled gratefully at him and began to head back towards the house. Buffy started off too, but caught Xander's arm as she past and the two silently exchanged glances and warm smiles before Buffy carried on after Tristan.

Xander slicked back his rain soaked hair off his face and watched them go; Xander only dwelling for a second on just exactly how wet Buffy's clothes were before his thoughts were interrupted by a crash of thunder. He sighed. "I've really got to stop my brain engaging in thoughts like that. It can't be healthy."

-------------------

A few minutes later and Susie's sitting room was full; with Buffy, Xander, Tristan and Lucy taking up some of the space and a handful of police officers took up the rest. Tristan helped Buffy put Lucy into some dry clothes and one of the officers helped Xander bandage his wrist. Each of them managed to dry off a little before answering questions about the afternoon's events.

Neither Tristan or Xander indicated directly that Mr and Mrs Carson had been involved, but it didn't stop Xander mentioning that they might be worth investigating as their behaviour recently had been suspicious and that was what had caused him to be wary of Lucy and Susie's well being. The police had given him and Tristan dubious looks but nevertheless had written everything down. 

"I don't think you're going to face any charges for reckless driving," one of the officers told Tristan. "Most likely it'll be a caution. You might, however, want to offer to pay for the damage you caused to someone's wall out there."

"No problem," Tristan replied. "Least I can do for providing me with something to crash into."

"Just don't make a habit of it," the officer informed him, either missing or ignoring the light humour in Tristan's voice. "And don't go anywhere either. We'll be round again tomorrow."

As Tristan dealt with the remaining officers showed the remaining officers to the door, Xander looked around for Buffy who seemed to have wandered off somewhere. He found her in the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe of the backdoor, looking out of the open doorway into the garden.

"You OK?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Buffy put one of her hands over his and then dipped her head and pressed her cheek against it. "Just gonna miss her, that's all."

"She'll be fine," Xander assured her. "And whatever happens between Susie and Tristan, she's gonna be looked after. Tristan'll make sure of that."

"He seems OK," Buffy agreed. She let go of Xander's hand and turned to face him as he leant against the other side of the doorframe and then looked at him oddly as he seemed to avoid looking at her. "What? Why aren't you looking at me?"

"Your top is still kinda wet," Xander replied, looking embarrassed. "And therefore still kinda see through."

Buffy looked down and swore, immediately crossing her arms across her chest. She cleared her throat. "So, um, do you think we're out of here then?"

"I guess," Xander replied. "I think Sean's still having problems with Gizmo. Says the storm is putting it on the fritz and he can only seem to send stuff but not get a lot back."

Buffy chuckled. "And this is the technology we rely on."

"Tell me about it," Sean commiserated with her as he appeared beside them. He stood on the patio and looked up at the raincloud-darkened sky whereupon it then thundered loudly again. "Boy am I glad the rain's going right through me." He then looked Xander up and down. "After all, wet only goods on some people."

Xander sighed. "It's pointless me even telling you to stop doing that, isn't it?" 

"Ignore him, Xander," Buffy added, looking pointedly at Sean. "He's just pissed 'cos he can't touch."

Sean narrowed his eyes as Buffy smiled sweetly back at him. "Thought you weren't doing that either."

If Buffy was planning a retort, anytime after she'd stopped blushing at least, it was going to be cut short by Tristan entering the kitchen; Lucy still in his arms.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked, looking at them curiously.

"Just about to sing your praises," Xander told him. "But maybe you should do it."

Tristan looked hesitantly at Buffy. "Susie? You going to give me a chance to explain?"

"I think she'd like to hear it," Sean advised. 

"Well I guess you're still in good graces here," Buffy replied. "But for Lucy's sake, this had better be damn good."

A grateful smile broke out on Tristan's face, but his words of thanks were drowned out by another roll of thunder and then Buffy and Xander couldn't see him at all as they both became engulfed in the bright white light that they were now accustomed to as a sign of their exit.

This also meant that they missed the single stroke of lightening a split second later that was attracted to their slightly electrifying departure.

-------------------

Xander blinked a couple of times once the light had disappeared, not just because it seemed to take a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust, but also because he was looking through a high powered telescope into somebody's bedroom.

Xander pulled back and automatically looked around to survey his surroundings. He'd just taken in the bank of four black and white monitors on the table directly next to him when he noticed that Sean was sitting in the chair infront of said table.

"OK guys, was that trip extra crackly or what?" Buffy's voice suddenly rang out across the room. A puzzled look fell on her face when both men turned to face her and their eyes widened. "What?"

"Um, you're still wet," Xander informed her. Then he coughed. "And still slightly see through."

"Well stop looking!" Buffy exclaimed, crossing her arms infront of her chest again. 

"And you're also standing in the middle of that bed," Sean added.

Buffy stared back at him for a minute before she looked down and found that her legs appeared to be half submerged in the middle of a queen sized bed that was strewn with empty take out boxes. "Huh," she said simply after a moment then took a step forward and back, finding that she could still move quite easily. "This is new."

Xander turned to Sean. "This isn't good… is it?"

Sean looked uneasily at the computer device he held in his hand. He tried tapping a few keys but it refused to respond to his touch. "Huh," he said in the same tone that Buffy had. Sean reached out and tentatively went to poke the other man in the shoulder with a finger.

Sean's finger hit solid Xander.

Sean groaned. "Oh boy."

=====

__

to be continued soon…


End file.
